God who is compassionate
The passage reveals God’s compassion not just toward Nineveh but also toward Jonah. God patiently deals with His prophet who is angry because God decided to relent from judging Nineveh.
Jonah’s compassion toward the plant is out of selfish reasons. His compassion is masked by his underlying comfort and he gets angry when the plant dies because it inconveniences him. We often behave like Jonah. Even our best intentions are tainted by sin and selfishness.
Jonah’s love is misplaced. Jonah’s love is for himself and anything that comes in-between faces his extreme displeasure. His love for himself even blinds him to God’s tremendous act of grace towards Nineveh.
