JONAH 4: 411

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• JONAH 4 4-11

THE PARABLE OF JONAH
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1. THE PROBLEMA RECAP.

• We saw last time that the heart of Jonahs
  problem was self. It was self-centredness and
  self-love that made it possible for bigotry and
  national prejudice to take root in his heart
• And it was this crisis moment when God showered
  His grace upon the Ninevites that brought Jonahs
  unresolved inner problem out into the open.

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• The spiritual dynamics at work here remind us
  that death to self should stand at the heart of
  conversion to Christ and our ongoing Christian
  living
• Dead to being ruled by our sinful desires and so
  being manipulated by Satan, instead choosing to
  live for Christ ruled by the Holy Spirit.

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• The complicating factor lies in that we live in
  the overlap of the ages. The power of the Spirit
  has broken in, but because of the mercy of God
  the sinful self is to an extent allowed to
  co-exist with the new life of the Spirit
• So if we are to live a victorious Christian life
  we need two things. First an awareness of the
  fact of this struggle

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• Too often there seems to be lack of clarity about
  thisthat the Christian life is a battle, that we
  do have to choose to die to self, live for
  Christ. The result being a lack of stability in
  our Christian living
• Secondly, we need a determination that expresses
  itself in submission to God, that the Spirit
  will gain the upper hand in our lives

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• This is what we see going wrong here in Jonahs
  life. For although he was a man who knew of the
  power of the Spirit, yet he had not got the upper
  hand over self and sin
• This was Jonahs problem, and this is what the
  Lord is trying to bring him to see as He asks the
  question, v4 Have you any right to be angry?

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• Basically, Jonah are you going to deny the same
  forgiving grace to men who are less culpable than
  you are?

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2. THE RESPONSE

• He goes in the huff!
• Then he waits to see what will happen to the
  city. This is a clear expression of his
  arrogance, and of how much self is in control in
  his life.
• For he still thinks God will judge this city,
  that God must come round to seeing things his way!

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3. THE PARABLE

• For here by means of a parable the Lord makes one
  last attempt to break through Jonahs resistance
  and teach him this vital spiritual lesson
• Jonah loves the shelter God provides him from the
  searing heat, but then overnight, the Lord sends
  a worm to destroy it!
• Jonah just wants to die!

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4. THE LESSON

• The Lord seizes the opportunity to drive home the
  lesson, as He repeats His earlier questionwith a
  twist.
• Jonah is angry about this plant dying, though he
  contributed virtually nothing to its existence.
• Yet, he expects God to destroy a city full of
  repentant people who He created and loves with
  all His heart

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• There is nothing more unChristlike, nothing that
  demonstrates more clearly that we are stilled
  ruled by self, that when we refuse to share the
  grace and forgiveness we have received with
  others
• We dont know how Jonah responded when he was
  brought face to face with the reality of his
  heart
• That drives the question home, how are we going
  to respond?