OUTRAGEOUS GRACE a sermon based on Jonah 3:10-4:11 by Rev. Rick Thompson
Things were not going well for Jonah!
You may remember how the story began. Jonah was just minding his
business, when God interrupted Jonah's life and gave the prophet some
startling—even outrageous!—orders. Jonah's divine instructions
were to go from Israel, far to the northeast, and proclaim to the people
in the great, pagan city of Nineveh that God was going to destroy
Nineveh if it failed to repent within 40 days!
For Jonah, that was the most ridiculous
thing he had ever heard!
The Israelites hated the people of Nineveh; more about that
in a few moments.
It was kind of like two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their
shops were right across the street from each other, and all day long
they kept track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he
would smile at his rival, who would scowl in return.
One night, in a dream, an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers
in a dream, and said, "I will give you anything you ask; but
whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would
you like to be rich? I'll make you rich—but I'll make him twice
as wealthy as you. Would you like to live a long life? Fine—but just
remember, I'll make your enemy live twice as long, and he'll be
twice as healthy. So, than—what is your wish?"
The man frowned, and sighed, and thought long and hard. Then his
eyes lit up! "I've got it!" he said to the angel.
"Here is my wish. I want you to strike me blind in one eye!"[1]
Now that's how Jonah and the Israelites felt about the people of
Nineveh. They couldn't stand the possibility that any good thing
could happen to Nineveh—like, for example, that Nineveh would repent and
be spared from God's destruction.
And there was good reason for their resentment. You see, some
centuries earlier, the powerful Assyrians had invaded Israel. In 722
B.C., they had attacked the northern capital of Samaria, and wiped the
kingdom of Israel off the map. And, about 20 years later, the Assyrians
had threatened to do the same to Jerusalem. The laidsiege
to Jerusalem for several years before politics back home required the
Assyrian army to withdraw and focus their attention elsewhere. So the
Israelites hated the Assyrians. And guess what was the capital
city of Assyria? That's right—Nineveh.
So we can understand why, when God told Jonah to go northeast to
Nineveh and call upon the people to repent, Jonah left town all right.
He left on the first ship heading northwest!
But Jonah couldn't escape God, couldn't run from his mission that
easily.
When God found out what Jonah had done, God sent a fierce storm
that threatened the ship. The sailors got frightened, and Jonah,
knowing the storm had been sent on his account, confessed that he was
the reason for their trouble, and they threw him overboard.
Incredibly, as the story goes, Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish,
and spent three days in the belly of the beast, praying that he would
live. Even more incredibly, God heard Jonah's cry for help, and the
fish vomited the reluctant prophet out on dry land.
That's when Jonah surrendered to God.
That's when Jonah finally decided to go on his mission to Nineveh.
When he got there, he proclaimed his simple message: "Repent, or in 40
days God will destroy the city!"
And, much to Jonah's chagrin, the people did repent. The
king ordered them all to dress in sackcloth and ashes, and they did. In
fact, even the livestock repented! Can you imagine
thousands of cattle wearing sackcloth and ashes, pleading with God for
their lives?
And when he saw it—when he saw the effects of the outrageous grace
of God—Jonahwas outraged! Instead of rejoicing at the
mercy of God for Nineveh, Jonah got mad! And that's the mood we find
Jonah in as we come to today's reading. Jonah is outside the city,
pouting, because God has spared Nineveh from destruction.
Jonah was enraged by God's outrageous grace. Grace that knew no
limits, no boundaries. Grace that extended even to Israel's
enemies!
The same grace of God that has welcomed us into life with
God. The same grace of God that went even to a cross, in a horrible
death, in order to rescue poor sinners—like me. The same grace of God
that is poured over us in baptism, and fed to us at God's table, and
enters our hearts and ears in God's Word, over and over again. The same
grace of God that plucks us out of the depths of sin and despair, frees
us from the jaws of eternal death, and ushers us into God's presence now
and for all eternity.
That grace of God.
Offered to me and you.
The beloved Rev. Billy Graham once had an experience that reminded
him of the boundlessness of God's grace, the outrageousness of God's
love and mercy for sinners.
Rev. Graham was driving through a small southern town, and was
stopped by an officer for speeding. Graham admitted his guilt, but the
officer ordered him to appear in traffic court.
In court, the judge asked, "How do you plead?"
"Guilty," replied Billy Graham. "Then I'm going to have to fine
you. That'll be $100--$10 for every mile over the speed limit."
As Rev. Graham pulled out his wallet to pay his
fine, the judge recognized him. "Wait!" he said. "I know who you are! I'm a great
admirer of yours! Your fine must be paid—but I'm going to pay it
for you!" And that's just what the judge did. And, on top of that, he took
Billy Graham out for a fine steak dinner—and paid the whole bill.
"That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats
repentant sinners."[2]
That's exactly how God treats us in
Christ. And isn't that wonderful! Isn't that worth
celebrating! Isn't that good reason to praise and thank and
worship and serve God?
Indeed it is!
But then there's a problem. And the problem is that God's grace is
too outrageous!
It was fine that God was merciful to his prophet Jonah, and it's
absolutely fine when God is merciful to us.
But then, God's grace gets outrageous!
God even saved the Ninevites!
Now, I wonder—who would be the Ninevites today? You know,
those notorious villains, who, in our eyes, deserve nothing but death
and destruction? The insurgents in Iraq, perhaps? The Taliban in
Afghanistan and Pakistan? The Iranian regime? The perpetrators of the
attacks on September 11, 2001? Osama bin Laden?
Or what about your personal enemies?
You know—the person you can't stand, the person who always rubs you the
wrong way, the person who has hurt you deeply?
If God's outrageous grace were extended even to them—and there's no
reason to think it isn't!; in fact, there's every reason to think it
is—and they repented, how would we feel then?
Wouldn't we fully understand Jonah's outrage at
God's outrageous grace?
We may not like it, but that's the way it is. God's grace is meant
for us—and for our enemies. God's grace is meant for those who
have come early to faith in God, who've been "good" people, who've
served God for many years; and God's grace is meant for newcomers
to the faith, for scoundrels, for those who seem the least deserving.
Isn't that outrageous?
And isn't that just like God?
We've heard about Jonah's successful
preaching—in spite of himself. We heard about Jonah's resentment
and envy when he encountered the wideness of God's mercy. And
isn't it interesting that the story ends with a question—a question from
God to Jonah, a question for all who hear this story?
God asked Jonah, "Should I not be concerned
about the great city of Nineveh, with its 120,00 people and many
animals?"
I wonder how Jonah answered. I wonder how Jonah lived from that
day on.
More to the point, when God's outrageous grace is extended to Ninevites—to those whom we think don't deserve the love and mercy of
God—I wonder how we will answer?
When God is concerned about our enemies, and welcomes them into
abundant life, what will we do? Will we share that concern?
Will we rejoice and celebrate with and for all who are given life
and forgiveness by God's outrageous grace?
