But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’” vs. 9
Jonah 4:2-11
As Jonah pouted outside the city of Nineveh, he was grateful for the shade offered by a bush God had graciously provided for his protection. But then the plant withered and died. With the sun beating down Jonah became even more angry, and the Lord questioned his right to be angry about the bush. It’s an almost amusing conversation, a reminder of our total lack of perspective in the way we perceive the world. We get angry about the dumbest things, flying into rage at being cut off on the freeway, and going into a three-day funk because our team’s running back fumbled at a crucial moment. We flood social media with racist comments and libelous insults, all because we’ve gotten angry something hasn’t gone our way. In the meantime, there are floods, earthquakes, and wars with thousands of casualties that we mostly ignore because we aren’t touched by their consequences. We complain about homeless people on our streets and then are enraged when a city buys a motel to house them. How in the world did it come to be, that we who live so well, get so hateful and upset about little things, and blithely ignore the real issues of our time. Where does all that rage come from? It’s certainly not from Christ!
Thought for the Day: Why are so many filled with rage?
0 Comments