The Sermon That Changed My Life
Like many people who grew up in Christian homes, I grew up hearing the story of Jonah often.
But as a pastor who teaches the Bible, I have been puzzled and amazed several times by this short book.
The Book of Jonah contains so many themes that it can be overwhelming for the interpreter.
It even seems like it covers too much.
Does the Book of Jonah deal with nationhood and nationalism? Jonah was more concerned with the military stability of his own nation than with the spiritually lost cities of other nations.
So, is the Book of Jonah a book about the call to missions? But ultimately, Jonah, who ran away from the call, regrets and repents.
Finally, is this a book about the Christian's struggle for faith to obey and trust God? The Book of Jonah covers all of these topics, and much more.
There is a wealth of scholarly research that illuminates the richness of the stories presented in this book, its multifaceted meanings, and its potential applications to countless aspects of human life and thought.
I have preached on the entire book of Jonah three times in my ministry so far.
In the process, I discovered the ‘various applicability’ of the Book of Jonah.
The first time I preached was when I was assigned to serve in a church in a small southern city where most of the population was manual laborers.
Ten years later, I preached a sermon on the book of Jonah to hundreds of young, single professionals in Manhattan.
And then, ten years later, immediately after the tragedy of 9/11, I preached on the book of Jonah for several weeks in New York City.
In each case, the cultural position and personal needs of the audience were extremely different.
But what is clear is that the text of Jonah was more than up to the task of conveying a powerful message to them.
Over the years, many church members have confessed that the sermon on Jonah changed their lives.
Readers who focus solely on the narrative development of Jonah are likely to think that the book is simply a fable, with the big fish appearing as a dramatic climax that lacks realism.
But careful readers will recognize that this book is an exquisitely crafted and intricately woven work of literature.


The Three Layers of Jonah
Despite the literary sophistication of the text of Jonah, many modern readers still tend to misunderstand it.
The reason is that Jonah was saved from the storm by being swallowed by a 'great fish' (John 1:17).
How we view this account depends on how we read the rest of the Bible.
If we accept the existence of God and the resurrection of Christ (a far greater miracle), there is no reason why reading the book of Jonah literally should be particularly difficult.
Many people today believe that all miracles are impossible.
But such skepticism is literally just an unprovable belief.
Moreover, a look at the text reveals no evidence that the author fabricated the miracle story.
Novelists often add supernatural elements to create excitement or spectacle.
The author of Jonah does not use this incident in that way.
He mentions fish only in two short verses and does not describe their appearance in detail.
I am simply reporting the simple facts that actually happened.
So let's not focus too much on the fish problem.
The carefully crafted structure of the Book of Jonah reveals many subtle aspects of the author's message.
Both incidents in the Book of Jonah show how Jonah, a devout Christian, viewed and interacted with people who were ethnically and religiously different from him.
The Book of Jonah offers many insights into God's love for society and people beyond the Christian community, his opposition to harmful nationalism and contempt for other peoples, and how to "carry out our mission" in the world despite the subtle and inescapable power of idolatry at work in our lives and hearts.
Gaining this insight will enable you to become a mediator, a peacemaker, and a mediator of reconciliation in the world.
Now is the time when such people are desperately needed.
But to understand all these lessons for our social relationships, we must recognize that the main teaching of Jonah is theological, not sociological.
What Jonah wanted was a god of his own creation.
He wanted to punish a wicked and wicked people like the people of Nineveh.
And he wants a god who blesses good people like Jonah and his people.
But when the real God, not Jonah's fake god, keeps appearing, he becomes angry and despairs.
In his eyes, God is a real mystery.
He could not reconcile God's mercy with God's justice.
Jonah asks God how He can show mercy and forgiveness to those who have committed such violence and evil.
How can God be merciful and just at the same time?
Jonah does not answer this question.
But as part of the Bible as a whole, the book of Jonah is like a chapter that moves the overall story of the Bible forward.
The teachings of the book of Jonah enable us to foresee how God, through the one who calls himself the ultimate Jonah (Matt. 12:41), will save the world, making himself righteous and the justifier of those who believe (Rom. 3:26).
Only when we fully grasp this gospel can we avoid becoming cruel exploiters like the people of Nineveh or Pharisees like Jonah, and instead be transformed by the Holy Spirit and become like Christ.

--- From the text