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Easier said than done!

Tuesday November 17, 2015

One of the most difficult tasks parents face, is teaching babies how to share. Babies do not have a problem accepting toys they did not pay for but they do have a problem sharing them. In a much broader sense, the same is true concerning grace; it is always easier to receive it than it is to share it.

Growing up, you may have heard the story of Jonah. Jonah was a Jewish man who lived in the town of Nazareth. In the period of history when this story took place, the Israelites had two main enemies, the Assyrians and the Aramaeans. During this time, God called Jonah and sent him to go and preach to the people in the city of Nineveh, which was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians were Israel’s most vicious enemy. These people were infamous because of their deeds. They were notorious for their torturing techniques; they practiced boiling and skinning people alive. As far as Jonah was concerned, being a messenger of Gods grace to these evil people was the last thing he wanted to do. Jonah decided he was going to run from God. He purchased a ticket to travel on a boat heading in the opposite direction of the city of Nineveh. God caused a situation that led to the sailors tossing Jonah overboard into the raging sea. In the sea God provided a big fish that swallowed Jonah and then vomited him on to dry land in the city of Nineveh three days later.

Nineveh was a large city boasting some 120,000 inhabitants. Within three days of Jonah’s arrival, and after hearing Jonah’s message, the whole city including the king had repented of their evil ways, and turned to God for mercy. One would think that this would be cause for celebration, but look at Jonah’s prayer in the following verse:

Jonah 4:2 NIV

Jonah 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.

Imagine that! This is Jonah, who chose to disobey God. Jonah tossed overboard into the raging sea because of his rebellion. This is Jonah, rescued from drowning by the big fish and delivered to Nineveh even though he was heading in the opposite direction. Jonah, this guy may well be is the most successful evangelist of all times, reaping a mega-harvest in just three days. This is the guy that God extended an abundant amount of grace to but now he is mad because God is showing grace to the people of Nineveh. This story is a reminder that there are two sides to grace, receiving and sharing. It also reminds us that it is often easier to receive it than it is to have to share it.