The most fascinating part of the story of Jonah and the Whale to me is the part no one seems to talk about. Chapter 4 is chock full of interesting stuff. That Jonah could be so rebellious after everything that happened to him shows the true depth of human depravity. So, when I was assigned to write a story, any story I wanted for the final project in my writing class my photographer partner and I chose to retell a story from the Bible. Jonah was at the top of my list. I’m happy with the results, so I have decide to post it here as well. I hope you all enjoy.
“I can’t believe you are going to show them mercy” he thought. “Where is your justice Lord? I have done what you commanded, and now that city should burn!” Jonah had spent 40 days walking through the streets of that wretched city proclaiming the Lord’s impending judgement and a call to repentance. He was familiar with this. He had repented himself a short time before in a dark, deep place where no man had ever been.
Since then he had preached the Lord’s word fervently. “In forty days this city will be overthrown!” he cried throughout his enemies’ capital. He walked the streets of Nineveh, saw the depth of sinfulness around him and his heart became hard. It was a filthy and disgusting sight for a prophet of Yahweh. His proclamations became stronger. He had started to look forward to the destruction. So when Jonah heard the proclamation of the Assyrian king, that the whole city was to listen to him and repent, his hatred had reached its capacity.
So Jonah left the city. He knelt down in the dirt outside the gates of Nineveh and at the foot of the hill cried out to God, “Lord, isn’t this what I said when I was still in my own land? There was no purpose in me coming here. I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. So, Lord, kill me right here. It’s better for me to die than to live.” God responded to Jonah, “Do you have any right to be angry about this?”
With no possible response for his God, Jonah started up the hill hoping that the Lord would see these people for what they were. He reached the top of the hill and it was a barren place, harshly exposed to the sun and wind. He gathered some dry branches and fashioned a shelter out of them. As he did this his heart turned darker still at the thought of the evil city below. He then sat under the shelter and waited to see what would happen. Soon, Jonah noticed a vine growing slowly, but visibly, over his shelter. He recognized that it was from the Lord and thanked him for the relief. In just a few hours there was a deep, cool shade covering the structure and he was glad of it. It spoke to him of God’s favor. He went to sleep that night even more secure in his righteous anger.
Jonah woke up the next day with the sunrise, but the vine he had been so happy to see was wilting. Within hours it was brown and sickly and by noon it had shriveled up and died. The east winds picked up, blowing down his shelter and revealing him to the scorching sun. It only took a few hours for Jonah to become weary and start to curse his lot in life. Once again, he asked God to take his life. “It’s better for me to die than to live like this!” he cried out to the Lord. The Lord responded, “do you have the right to be angry with my vine that gave you shelter and then left you without it?” Jonah replied, “I do, and I am so angry I could die.” God replied to Jonah, “You feel pity for this plant, yet you had nothing to do with its life and its growth. Why then should I not feel anger and then pity for the people of Nineveh whom I created? They knew nothing of my truth until you proclaimed it. Why should I not answer their repentance with mercy?”
At that moment Jonah became a prophet without any words to speak. He looked down upon the city and saw it as God might. A helpless people who did not know the Lord or his law. A people struggling to make sense of life in light of their ignorance. Jonah felt compassion spread and disgust leave him. He knew then that he had run because he did not want to face this moment. He mistook God’s mercy for injustice and he had seen the Assyrians only as enemies. Could he come to see the full love of God in this act? He knew there was only one way. Jonah got down on his knees and asked for something much, much different than before.
Tags: storytelling
Pictures with the story…
Working on it buddy.