Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy toward Nineveh reveals a heart problem we all share – wanting justice for others but mercy for ourselves. When God spared the city, Jonah became furious because he knew God was gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Through the object lesson of a plant that brought Jonah comfort before being destroyed, God showed that Jonah cared more about his temporary comfort than the eternal souls of 120,000 people. This story challenges us to examine our own hearts for times when we’ve been angry at God’s grace toward people we think don’t deserve it. God’s heart is radically different from ours – and that’s the best news we could receive.
