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Jonás miraba a los asirios con disgusto y odio, creyendo que Israel era el hogar del pueblo elegido de Dios y que todos los demás eran secundarios. La rebeldía de Jonás ante la petición de Dios no era simplemente orgullo por su país. Nínive representaba lo peor de los asirios y su ejército. Eran violentos y injustos de manera opresiva. Hambrientarían a sus enemigos, desollarían vivos a los líderes de las naciones circundantes, decapitarían a sus víctimas y obligarían a las familias a desfilar a sus seres queridos alrededor de la ciudad. Esta nación hizo cosas horribles a Israel, y es muy probable que Jonás tuviera seres queridos que fueron masacrados por esta nación. Para que Dios mostrara misericordia y compasión a Nínive haría sentir a Jonás como si hubiera una brecha en la fidelidad y promesa de Dios con Israel. Esta “palabra del Señor” habría hecho sentir a Jonás que Dios estaba durmiendo con el enemigo y era poco confiable. Predicar este sermón de cinco palabras probablemente le hizo sentir a Jonás que era cómplice de la traición, el abandono y la traición contra Israel.

Pero Dios no enviaría misericordia a estas personas, ¿verdad? Deben estar fuera del amor de Dios porque no eran parte de la nación de Israel. Había un profundo nacionalismo y superioridad religiosa en el corazón de Jonás. El prejuicio y el racismo justificado que nadaban a través del capítulo Cuatro me recuerdan mucho a nuestro propio excepcionalismo estadounidense, y ser bendecidos por Dios como una “nación piadosa”. La mentalidad de América primero ha dictado e influenciado a la Iglesia estadounidense y parece haber causado que muchos cristianos olviden que nuestra lealtad no es a un país, sino al camino de Jesucristo. Esto no significa que no puedas estar orgulloso de tu país o agradecido de ser estadounidense, pero Dios es global. Él ama a todo el mundo y debemos vivir de la misma manera.

El mensaje que Dios le dio a Jonás era verdadero. Jonás lo dijo correctamente, pero no lo entendió correctamente. “Cuarenta días más y Nínive será destruida.”

La palabra “destruida” se usa de diferentes maneras y tiene varios significados diferentes — así como podemos usar la palabra “caliente” para significar cosas diferentes: “la sartén está caliente” o “esa persona está caliente.” (Ambos te pueden quemar, pero no de la misma manera.)

La palabra “destruida” es “hapak”, que tiene tres significados diferentes vistos en tres pasajes diferentes de la Escritura.

The first is from the book of Hosea, where God talks about Israel being like baked bread that hasn’t been “hapak,” or turned over. One side is raw and the other is burnt.

The second is from Lamentations 4:6, where God says “The sin of my people is greater than Sodom, which was ‘hapak’ in a moment without a hand to help”. This means “overthrown” or “destroyed,” which is probably the sense of the term Jonah intended.

The third is from Psalm 30:11, where God has “hapak” my grief into dancing. This means to change or transform.

When the word of the Lord came to Jonah to bring to Nineveh, Jonah expected destruction when the Lord expected transformation.

So Jonah leaves Nineveh, travels east outside the city and sets up a shelter to camp in so he can watch with glee while the city gets destroyed, since that’s the word he got from the Lord. And I wonder if, while he was sitting there, he became more and more irritable as the days passed him by. As he’s waiting to watch the city burn, did he grow more frustrated and angry day by day, festering in the heat?

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. Jonah 4:1

In Hebrew, this is translated as: Jonah began to break apart from burning anger.

His heat grew as the heat of the day grew, and it was breaking him apart. He was obsessed and fully focused on his ideal for the city. His nationalism grew stronger while his theology weakened.

The sun blazed on his head. The text tells of a plant growing up and providing him with shade, but a worm came and killed the plant at the root, leaving Jonah in his discomfort and anger once again. Anger is often a facade for control and power. Holding onto anger makes us believe we have some control, and I wonder if Jonah believed he could sway God with his anger and rage – he was so angry he wanted to die. It was all he could see and it consumed him like the worm consumed the plant.

There are types of anger that tell us something is wrong, moving us to help stand against injustice. We even see God angry at sin because of the pain it brings people and this world. The Psalmist wrote that “When you are angry, do not sin,” meaning, don’t let your anger rule over you or cause you to harm others. Don’t make an idol out of your anger.

Anger and self-pity are closely related companions, feeding off each other, justifying behavior and perpetuating blame. When everything is someone else’s fault, I never have to take responsibility. And when God is to blame, for the hot sun and the worm in the plant and whatever else, then I’m off the hook. When Jonah yelled about his anger at God’s compassion, he spoke about himself egocentrically by saying “I” or “my” nine times, because he knew what his enemies deserved and God, obviously, had it wrong.

So he sets up a shelter outside the city to prove God wrong.

There’s a real temptation to set up a shelter outside our enemy’s metaphorical house, to watch what they have coming – your ex’s house, or the house those who purposefully ignored you throughout high school. You’re just waiting with glee for that hard season — a failing career, a loss in resources. Or we set up shelters on social media, waiting for news to come out about someone’s tax returns or some scandal, that’s just enough cause to justify your anger or hatred?

I am so angry I wish I were dead, Jonah said.

Jonah preached destruction over Nineveh when God desired transformation. Hapak. God always desires mercy and love when we often desire retaliation and resentment.

The book of Jonah ends with a question and without an answer. And as annoying as this is, it feels invitational and open-ended. Within this ancient wisdom, I’m invited to see my own propensity for self-pity, idolatrous belief in America First, and misguided hope in a political party.

I’m invited to combat any deep disappointment or justified anger with gratitude, and joy where my hope isn’t in a president or my enemies getting what I believe they deserve. My hope is in a God who is present even when I’m being a selfish turd, and who gently asks me the same question asked to Jonah: “Shouldn’t I have compassion on those you seem to hate?”