The way God works in our lives brings a message that challenges our attitudes
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” There’s a lot contained in that one sentence from the book of Jonah!
On one level, the book of Jonah is simply fun to read: a reluctant prophet, a storm at sea, the whale, a dramatic message, the repentance of an entire city. It’s exciting!
On another level, the book is a deep critique of a national attitude that had crept into ancient Israel: self-satisfaction, and disdain toward other nations. A central part of the prophetic message is embedded in the fact that God gave Jonah a second chance to respond to His call, then Jonah was bitter because God gave Nineveh a second chance, too. The Book of Jonah is a deep critique of a national double standard.
A deeper study of the book reveals interesting things about its historical context and theological focus. But let me sum up one key point this way: God has a way of disarming snarky attitudes. In fact, that’s a theme in several readings this week. It’s worth looking at more closely.
Jonah has a snarky attitude about the rescue of Nineveh from destruction. God disarms that attitude with an object lesson. God makes a tree grow up overnight to give Jonah shade, then destroys the tree the next night. Jonah declares that he is “angry enough to die” over the loss of the tree. God then asks: If you’re grieved over the loss of the tree – over which you spent no labor – why shouldn’t I be grieved over the potential loss of Nineveh? God cuts right to the heart; but He does it in a way that opens Jonah to the truth from within his own experience. That’s creative!
A scholar of the law comes to Jesus with a snarky attitude and a legitimate question. After Jesus answers the question, the attitude comes out: “But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Jesus disarms that attitude with a parable: the parable of the good Samaritan. He cuts right to the heart; but He does it in a way that opens the scholar to the truth from within his own cleverness. That’s creative!
Martha comes to Jesus with a snarky observation: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” This time Jesus disarms the attitude with a direct teaching. He must have had a close relation with her, to know that a direct word was the clearest way to speak to her heart.
Friends, this pattern in the readings raises two questions for me. First: What are our own snarky attitudes – whether personal or national – that need to be pierced by God’s creativity? Second: How can we imitate God’s creativity when we encounter the snarky attitudes of others?
If we pause to pray, we often find that something in God’s word, or in our lives, or in events around us, brings a message from God that challenges our own attitudes. That’s God’s creativity working on us!
And if we pause to pray, we often find a deeper, more sympathetic, more creative, and ultimately more effective way to reach the hearts of others. That’s God’s creativity working through us.
So, this week, let’s pause to pray – and let God disarm snarky attitudes in us and around us.
