But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him, and said to him, ‘What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.’” (Jonah 1:4-6)
It was Jonah’s fault.
God had commanded him to go preach repentance to the wicked Ninevites, and Jonah’s response had been to board a ship going in the opposite direction. So the Lord sent a fierce storm that threatened to sink the boat. The sailors, idolaters all, were at least doing something—they were lightening the ship and praying to their false gods. But Jonah, the prophet of Jehovah, the only true believer aboard? Not so much. He had given up, and was sleeping in the ship’s hold. To his shame, believing Jonah actually had to be rebuked by the ship’s unbelieving captain for neglecting his prayers!
Unbelievers sometimes put believers to shame.
How sad when this situation is replicated in our lives! How shameful when the idolater is more faithful in his prayers than the worshiper of the true God, when the atheist is more cheerful and welcoming than the child of God, when the non-Christian shows more love for his neighbor than the Christian does! These things ought not so to be.
God does what it takes to bring us back.
Thankfully, when our sinful impulses, like Jonah’s, try to take us in the opposite direction from God’s path for us, our gracious Lord will bring us back. And the more extreme the departure, the more extreme His measures often are for saving us from ourselves—up to and including being swallowed by a great fish! When one of His precious sheep is lost, our loving Good Shepherd searches diligently for it, “and when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’” (Luke 15:5-6)
God has designed it so that the Gospel works even when we don’t.
How wonderful it is that, even when we are faithless, God remains faithful! His Word continues to go out, according to His holy will, and never returns to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). Even in the mouths of weak witnesses and reluctant prophets, the Gospel continues to work powerfully to bring souls to faith. God saw to it that Jonah—against his will!—witnessed the sovereignty, power, and salvation of the only true God; both to the heathen sailors and the heathen Ninevites. Both groups were brought to repentance. Many were saved through the witness of Jonah, however grudgingly that witness was given.
But why be grudging?
When it comes to the Gospel, let’s be cheerful and generous givers! No matter to whom you may be speaking—the neighbor across the fence, the coworker in the break room, the person on the next elliptical at the gym—you have exactly what that person needs most in life. The Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to the wonderful reality of the Gospel—that God forgives sins freely for Christ’s sake. Won’t you share that reality with others? There’s no greater gift you could possibly give! Meanwhile, don’t let the non-Christians out-Christian the Christians. Let’s be constant in prayer, always reflecting our Savior’s love, and abounding in the good works by which, Christ says, His followers will easily be identified. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Paul Naumann is a professor at Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and editor of the Lutheran Spokesman.