5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plantand made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4)
Jonah makes for much more than a good kids story. It intrigues us because it leaves us hanging. What happens to Jonah? Does he die out there, stubborn and bitter. Even more so, it leaves us with that question: Do I really understand and appreciate the love and grace of God? Is it all about me? Or is God allowed to love others and forgive them? Will I live my life to serve Him and others, no matter how "happy" it makes me? Can I see the big picture? Some of the best stories (and true events!) are those that leave us hanging, and asking ourselves the important questions of life. Start asking.
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