What Christians need to learn about love from Jonah

What do Christians need to learn about love from Jonah? Seriously? Jonah is so, well, Old Testament. What can we learn from him? And love? Jonah is an example of love? But yes, I do believe there's a lot we can and should learn about love, God's love, from Jonah's experience.

What Christians need to learn about love from Jonah is article #1 in the series: Jonah and Christian love. Click button to view titles for the entire series

If nothing else, we should believe Jonah is in the Bible for a reason. We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Given that, do we also believe there's stuff in the Bible that has no value for us? That'd be weird indeed.

I started to write this as part of something about prayer in schools here in the U.S. And how people of other religions, including Jews and Muslims, want the Supreme Court to rule that Christian prayers in school are allowed under the constitution.

That article will be over on whichgodsaves.com. When it's completed I'll put a link in here. But as I was beginning to write it, I realized it has applications in all sorts of scenarios. So I'm doing it as its own thing. However, I feel like it's better to put it here. godversusreligion.com is more directed towards Christians and our religion/faith/beliefs/Etc.

The other site is more about looking at what's going on in the world to see how different "gods" are involved. And, of course, why the God of the Bible is the one we should look to. The other gods are things like money, politics, sports, and all sorts of things that take our attention away from God.

What do Christians need to learn about love from Jonah?

So, with that in mind, let's take a look at Jonah, and how we Christians can and should learn about love, God's love, from Jonah.

Jonah sent by God to Nineveh

Jonah Flees From the LORD

Right away, from the title given to this passage by the NIV translators, we know that whatever God wanted, Jonah ran away from God and the task.

Let's be honest. Haven't we all done that? We have, and so we also know we have something to learn.

Jnh 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

Jonah gets his task from God. He's supposed to go to Ninevah and preach God to them. Why? Because the people there are wicked. Remember, this is Old Testament times, so this kind of behavior will eventually result in the destruction of the city and its people if they don't repent and turn to God.

Also remember, we are in New Testament times. We don't preach immediate death and destruction. We are supposed to preach the Good News. God's love. Eternal salvation through Jesus.

Either way though, there is a task. And God wants Jonah to perform it.

Jonah runs from the task. And from God.

Jnh 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish . He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

You probably want to know, why did Jonah run away? But first, does it matter why Jonah ran away? The reality is, no matter the reason, Jonah was given a task by God, and Jonah refused to do it. Jonah figuratively and literally ran away from God. As I asked earlier, which of us hasn't done that?

When I teach a class, I always say that there is one dumb question. It's the one that isn't asked. Why is that unasked question the one dumb question? Because when we don't ask something, our mind keeps thinking about that unasked question. We get more and more dialed in on it. We focus all our attention and mind on that one thing. And miss everything else that's going on in the class!

Why did Jonah run away? Does it matter why Jonah ran away? The reality is, no matter the reason, Jonah was given a task by God, and Jonah refused to do it. Jonah figuratively and literally ran away from God. And which of us hasn't done that?

So let's answer the question. Why did Jonah run away? And then we'll find out why, in one respect, it really doesn't matter what Jonah's reason was. At the same time, we'll see why Jonah's reason did matter, and what that means for us.

Why did Jonah run away from God?

Here's one account, with some important background, on why Jonah ran away. Pay close attention, because there are things in it that we definitely can relate to. And that we resemble.

Running from the Lord

Having been told to get up, Jonah gets up. But instead of going north and east, he chooses west. To use a British analogy, directed to the John O’Groats of his known world, he opts for Land’s End instead. He does not argue with God about the mission; he simply runs from it. It is an in-your-face act of disobedience. Why? It was not because he was frightened, even though he had good reason to be. Neither did he fear ridicule, although a lone figure shouting out that Nineveh, with its massive walls and military might, was about to be overthrown would certainly invite it.

Jonah went west. Pretty much the opposite direction from where he was supposed to go. He must've figured he could somehow go someplace and hide from God.

Of course, we know better. Don't we? Some of us, probably not. For us, it doesn't matter what direction we go. Or if we don't go anywhere, but just try to ignore God. He knows where we are.

But we have an additional impediment to running away or hiding from God. The Holy Spirit. Do you remember when you were baptized? And promised to follow Jesus? Hopefully, you did that and truly meant it. But then, that also means the Holy Spirit's going to keep trying to get your attention. Maybe not like Jonah and the big fish. But still, we all said He cab and should do that when we became Christians. So He will be there.

There's a somewhat lengthy section in John's Gospel about when Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. Part of it has always been one of my favorite passages, ever since I was a kid. All these years later, it's still one of my favorites. But I have come to learn so much more about what it means.

Jesus Promises The Holy Spirit

Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”