Jonah Chapters 3 and 4

When I taught a Sunday School lesson on Jonah chapter 3 and 4 I tried to emphasize two things that we could do after studying the book. The first thing that I thought we needed to practice was having real compassion for unbelievers. Jonah showed little or no compassion for the people of Nineveh. He knew that God was compassionate (Jonah 4:2), but he was rebuked by God in verses 10 and 11 for showing more concern for a vine than the people of Nineveh. Jonah prayed that the reason he went to Tarshish was because he knew God would relent from the destruction he threatened Nineveh with. Jonah proved that he knew God by praying Psalms and his description of God in 4:2. However he also proved that he did not think and act like God. Jonah wanted Nineveh to be destroyed and he was likely justified to think that way. Nineveh was the capital of the nation that was to invade Israel and likely Jonah and his fellow Jews would have benefited from Nineveh's destruction. At least that is likely how Jonah would have thought. Of all the evil that Nineveh stood for and committed they had offended God first and foremost, rather than the people of Israel. If God, being the most offended party involved, wanted to show mercy toward Nineveh then the prophet should have rejoiced that his God was so merciful. I think that Christians today must see that all of the evil things that people do today offend God much more than anyone else. We should see that if God wants to show mercy to people that offend him then we should follow that example and be merciful as well. In order to do that we must learn to be compassionate as God was in Nineveh's case and Jesus modeled many times in the Gospels.
The second thing to learn and practice from the book of Jonah is to do what you are supposed to do. When you know what God wants you to do, then do it without hesitation. God intended for Jonah to preach to Nineveh and no matter what Jonah did he was going to preach to Nineveh. We should see that if God intends for us to do something that we will do it whether we want to or not. I would like to perform my tasks from God after being told once rather than going through problems like those of Jonah. This seems like a simple thing to do but is much harder to practice.
Jesus sets the perfect example of both of these ideas. He showed great compassion throughout his ministry and up to his death. He also perfectly performed his mission here on earth by doing the will of the father. I know that am often more like Jonah than like Jesus in these two areas. I also know that by grace I can become more like Jesus and less like Jonah.