Angry Enough to Die

Jonah 3:10-4:11
Alternate First Reading for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Year A)

Jonah is a children’s Bible story staple because of its big fish. Someone decided long ago that if an animal is in a tale then it must be a great story to tell to kids. This is a terrible idea and Noah’s Ark is at the top of the list why. But Jonah has a large sea creature and he learns a lesson so we make that exclusive content of children’s church and don’t really pay it any heed as adults.

That’s a mistake because Jonah is a fascinating little story with a nasty little protagonist who learns a lesson yet not the lesson and a God who is filled to the brim with mercy.

When I was told this story in church as a kid, it was said that Jonah ran because he was scared. He didn’t want to go to Nineveh because he was afraid to deliver the message. This isn’t true; at least not how it was framed to me. Jonah says so himself. He ran because he was afraid that God would forgive the people of Nineveh and Jonah did not want to see that happen. This prophet would rather disobey God—risking his life and the life of some unwitting sailors at sea—than see people he considered his enemies receive grace and restoration.

This is a story we should read regularly as adults.

In the closing chapter of the book, the people of Nineveh have repented. The pouting prophet gets angry at God and confesses this is why he didn’t want to deliver the message in the first place: “I knew that you were a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” Then he stomps off to see what might happen to the city.

As Jonah waits, God causes a plant to grown and provide the indignant emissary some shade. But then God sends a worm to eat the plant, it withers, and it is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. God asks Jonah whether it is right for him to be angry about the plant. The prophet snaps back, “Yes, angry enough to die.”

It is really easy in this world right now to be angry enough to die. And I don’t want to equate that anger with Jonah’s petulant temper tantrum. I get legitimately angry about the death, hurt, callousness, hypocrisy, and selfishness that I see in this world. I hope you do too. We should never grow numb to people who needlessly lose their lives or when the powerful lie to serve their own ends.

But I don’t want to become like Jonah. I don’t want to have an anger that pushes me to run away from what God calls me to do. I don’t want to have an anger that does not see the good in those who are different from me. I don’t want to have an anger that blinds me to the beauty of grace and restoration coming to those who perceive me as an enemy. I don’t want to be so angry I can die.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares this destructive anger to murder. He says that if you have that kind of anger towards other people then it is like killing them. But if we possess that anger, it does the same thing to us that it did to Jonah. It’s an anger that kills us and robs us of our joy. Jonah was so consumed by his anger that 20,000 people turned their lives around and were saved and he was mad because they didn’t burn. 20,000 people saved! 20,000 people trying to do right! Jonah didn’t care. He said he was so angry he could die but the sad reality is that part of him was already dead.

So in this world, it is okay to be angry. After this weekend (or virtually any week in 2020), I get it. But ask God to help you channel that anger in ways that lead to life rather than death. If you are angry about the state of the world, find ways to make it better. Find ways to lift people up. Work tirelessly for a better tomorrow. Disagree with people, but never in a way that dehumanizes them.

Granted even if you do all of this, there will be things to make you angry. You will work in a way that pursues life and still find those who just use anger and fear to their own ends. You’ll try your best to lovingly disagree and still get blocked on Facebook (I learned that this week). Still try to love those people. Still try to work for a better tomorrow. Just because people misunderstand you, write you off, and drive you to anger doesn’t mean you can do that others. Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.