The story of Jonah is much deeper than merely a prophet being swallowed by a great fish. It is a story that exemplifies our sinful human nature. Sometimes we Christians have been known to suffer from what we might call the “Jonah syndrome.” It’s not caused by a contagious virus, but by sin and sin’s virulent mutation, selfishness. Having experienced God’s love and forgiveness, we become turned in upon ourselves. We see something bad happen and we think that those people deserved it. Sometimes we even wish that God would “get those people for the bad things that they have done.” That’s where Jonah was at.
 
When God calls upon Jonah to go to Nineveh to call the city to repentance, Jonah runs away. Near the end of the story, Jonah tells God his greatest fear. He wasn’t afraid of the strange looks he would receive as a prophet of doom walking through the streets of Nineveh. He wasn’t afraid of being martyred in Nineveh. Jonah says, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee…I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”
 

What Jonah fears is what happens. Jonah goes outside the city of Nineveh and waits for the shock and awe of fire and brimstone; but nothing happens. Nothing happens because from the king down to the lowest peasant the people of Nineveh repent. And listen again to how God reacts: “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” The New King James says, “God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them.” The countdown to God’s judgment stopped. God changes what he has in store for the Ninevites. Instead of punishment there is forgiveness. Instead of destruction there is peace. Instead of death there is life.
 
This story about Jonah is a story of God’s amazing grace. This is the story of a God who cares about even the worst of sinners: a rebellious prophet, a wicked nation, a thief on a cross, people who don’t deserve his love, people who have rejected his ways, even sinners like you and me. The people of Nineveh are why our Lord Jesus went to the cross. Jonah is why our Lord Jesus went to the cross.

That brings me to one of the questions that come forward to us in our time from this wonderful story of Jonah and Nineveh: If God sent Jonah to call the Ninevites to repentance, to whom has our Lord sent us? People from a different culture? Those in our community or families who have chosen to live openly rebellious lives against God’s will? Who are our Ninevites? Perhaps it is time for us to look at this story, and ask ourselves where are we in this story? Have we thrown Jonah overboard? Have we heard our Lord’s will, but then headed in the opposite direction just like Jonah? Where is our Nineveh? The Word that Jonah proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh is still as powerful today as it was when God used the prophet’s words to bring the people of Nineveh to repentance.

Nineveh is all around us. What will we do with the Word our Lord has given us? Look at the cross! That sacrifice is for you, for the people of Nineveh then, and for the people of Nineveh even today. Have you heard President Harrison say that “it is time to plant”? 
 
May our Lord bless and guide!