Jonah is most well known for being swallowed by a fish and, well, "deposited" back onto dry land. His story is much more than that, however. It's a picture of God's consistent character throughout history despite man's brokenness and flaws. It's a story of God's mercy coming to a people who did not deserve it. These people were enemies of God, much like the Bible describes you and me. Yet God offered them a chance to repent and be spared. What's most shocking in this story of fantastic circumstances is Jonah's response. He is indignant that God was consistent with His character and spared Ninevah.
So often, we can be the same way. We feel that God owes us more than others because of how we live our lives. Yet throughout the Bible, God extends grace and mercy on the undeserving freely to whosoever will come. He shows no partiality or favoritism, which ought to be cause for celebration and wild, unhindered generosity from us in sharing the good news of Christ. Sadly, we get caught up in the behavior and beliefs, or lack thereof, that we withhold that grace people so desperately need. We forget that at one time, we, too, needed God's grace and mercy.
