Jonah is so outraged when the Ninevites repent after his preaching that he wants to die. He didn’t want God to forgive Nineveh; he wanted judgment. His narrow nationalism made it impossible for him to grasp the all-embracing love of God.3 But the message of this prophetic book transcends the limits of the prophet. It proclaims how good God is, how His compassion extends to every creature in His universe, even (as the last word in the book says) “to the animals.” All men and women are the people of His caring. All are called to accept the extravagant gift of His grace, for acceptance means
...more
