Rerouting
August 10, 2024

That’s Not Fair

Main Point: God is looking for people who are willing to do what He asks, even when they don’t like the outcome.

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. —Jonah 3:10

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

“Grace never seems fair until we need a little.” Bob Goff

He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live —Jonah 4:2-3.

  • God is full of grace and mercy, even for the people that you don’t like.

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” —Jonah 4:4

  • When we think that someone is less deserving of God’s grace than we are, the issue is our heart, not theirs.

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. —Jonah 4:5-6

But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” —Jonah 4:7-8

  • If our happiness is tied to our circumstances, we will constantly be experiencing highs and lows.

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” —Jonah 4:9

  • When our feelings become an idol, they are easy to justify.

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” —Jonah 4:10-11

  • God’s love for people supersedes our feelings about them.

Takeaway: We have to get past our biases to be messengers of grace.


Discussion Questions

  1. Why do you think Jonah was so angry when God spared Nineveh, and how can we relate to his feelings in our own lives?

  2. Bob Goff says, “Grace never seems fair until we need a little.” Can you share a time when you experienced grace that felt unfair? How did it change your perspective?

  3. Jonah acknowledges God’s gracious and compassionate nature. How does understanding God’s character influence the way you treat others, especially those you find difficult to love?

  4. When we believe someone is less deserving of God’s grace than we are, what steps can we take to address the issues in our own hearts?

Table Discussion Question:

  1. Reflecting on the story of Jonah, what is one specific area in your life where you need to extend grace and mercy to someone you find difficult to love? How can you start making that change this week?