Luke 15:28-30

It appears that the “perfect” protagonist in our verses for today had a similar problem to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who were simply not happy about “sinners” and tax collectors receiving mercy or having any part or share in the Kingdom. Lacking in mercy, motivated wrongly in their work they were stomping their feet at the inclusion of the repentant. “It’s not fair!” they cry out. What they didn’t realize is that the fair is in October! Life is not fair – whatever that means. How “unfair” it was for Jesus, who being in very nature God, to empty Himself of His glory and come down to earth to live a perfect life and to die on the cross for our scrawny necks – talk about unfair! Paul tells us in Philippians:

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Phil 2:5-8 (NIV)

The older brother here is not too unlike Jonah who became very displeased with God’s mercy towards the lost in Nineveh – it was Jonah’s desire for them to be wiped away. The Ninevites had been very cruel to the Israelites and Jonah desired their destruction. He wanted to be spared from calamity but he did not want the Ninevites to be kept from disaster. Jonah, like the older brother, was an object of God’s compassion yet displayed no compassion for those he deemed not worthy - even when they truly are repentant:

1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." Jonah 4:1-3 (NIV)

But God (two of my favorite words in Scripture), who longs to display mercy to the repentant, speaks to Jonah in the following way:

4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?" Jonah 4:4 (NIV)

God begins by asking the sulking prophet if he had any right to be angry certainly implying a negative response. Perhaps Jonah, who also deserved death for disobedience, forgot that he too had been delivered by God. Again, God speaks to Jonah and gives the prophet the reason for the stay of His hand:

11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" Jonah 4:11 (NIV)

Of these verses the Bible Knowledge Commentary states:

As the book concludes, Jonah was angry, depressed, hot, and faint. And he was left to contemplate God’s words about his own lack of compassion and God’s depth of compassion. The Lord had made His points: (a) He is gracious toward all nations, toward Gentiles as well as Israelites; (b) He is sovereign; (c) He punishes rebellion; and (d) He wants His own people to obey Him, to be rid of religious sham, and to place no limits on His universal love and grace.

We would all do well to contemplate the above points when we are picking up stones to cast. Ever fallen for that wrong attitude? Me too! Where in the world do we get off by not bestowing mercy in abundance to those seeking it in true repentance? If God, the Creator of all things chooses to place no limits on His universal love and grace, how much more should we?

“Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies.” Charles Jefferson

“Forgiveness save us the expense if anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” Hannah More

“Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the Prodigal Son who had fallen most low could still be saved.” Seren Kierkegaard