生悶氣的傳道者
約拿書四章
1這事約拿大大不悅，且甚發怒，
2就禱告耶和華說：耶和華啊，我在本國的時候，豈不是這樣說嗎？我知道你是有恩典、有憐憫的神，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災，所以我急速逃往他施去。
3耶和華啊，現在求你取我的命吧！因為我死了比活著還好。
4耶和華說：你這樣發怒合乎理嗎？
5於是約拿出城，坐在城的東邊，在那裡為自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的蔭下，要看看那城究竟如何。
6耶和華神安排一棵蓖麻，使其發生高過約拿，影兒遮蓋他的頭，救他脫離苦楚；約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜樂。
7次日黎明，神卻安排一條蟲子咬這蓖麻，以致枯槁。
8日頭出來的時候，神安排炎熱的東風，日頭曝曬約拿的頭，使他發昏，他就為自己求死，說：我死了比活著還好！
9神對約拿說：你因這棵蓖麻發怒合乎理嗎？他說：我發怒以至於死，都合乎理！
10耶和華說：這蓖麻，不是你栽種的，也不是你培養的；一夜發生，一夜乾死，你尚且愛惜；
11何況這尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人，並有許多牲畜，我豈能不愛惜呢？
信息分享
約拿不悅的原因很多。首先，他是個猶太人，對神要施恩予外邦人實在很不以為然。對外邦人，他似乎沒法有愛心。我們可以批評說他對失喪的靈魂沒有愛，但不妨先自問：我們對人的愛心又有多少呢？
他的驕傲也暴露無遺。他原本並不願向尼尼微城的居民宣講神的審判，神後來又沒有按著他所傳的作，反倒要赦免他們。這也讓他不悅。
神這次要怎樣對付約拿呢？約拿原先坐在棚下，熾烈的陽光曬得他非常辛苦。神使一顆蓖麻奇蹟般地快速生長，為他遮蔭，使他免受日曬之苦。約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜悅。也許他正在慶幸，以為自己贏得神的看顧的時候，神卻命一條蟲子來把蓖麻吃掉。約拿重新曝曬在豔陽之下！他被曬得發昏便大大地發怒。
我們可以想像那時神與約拿的對話。神問：「約拿，你不高興嗎？」約拿撅著嘴說：「你把我的樹蔭拿去，任由我在這裡飽受熱風和烈日之苦，你是愛我嗎？」「約拿，你只想到自己和你的舒適。難道你不關心城裡的人嗎？我卻關心他們。約拿，我不想看見他們死。」
約拿的故事到這裡結束。它不單是一段歷史，其中不乏我們要學到的功課。神對待人，是要引領人悔改，並且讓人帶著愛心樂意去事奉。你與我是否同在神的引領下，面對同樣的功課？
THE POUTING PREACHER
Jonah 4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
4 Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?"
And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!"
10 But the LORD said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
Message
Jonah's problems were many. First he was a Jew and didn't like preaching mercy to any who weren't Jews. He seemed to have no love for anybody who wasn't a Jew. We could say he had no love for lost souls. Then we need to ask: How much love do we have?
Secondly his pride seemed to have shown up very badly. He didn't like the idea of preaching judgment and then God not doing what he, Jonah, had prophesied.
How was God going to deal with Jonah this time? While he was sitting there in a rough bough shelter in the hot sun feeling sorry for himself, God caused a vine to grow quickly and miraculously over the rough shelter and protect him from the fierce heat. Jonah was very glad for the vine. Did he think he deserved some consideration? But next God caused a worm with a tremendous appetite to eat down the vine. Back to the hot sun! Jonah was bitter and angry.
The conversation could have gone something like this: God asked, 'What's the matter, Jonah?' Jonah replies (in a pout), 'You took away my shade and left me here in the hot wind and sun. Don't you love me?' 'Jonah, you think only of yourself and your own comfort. Don't you care for those people over there in the city? I care about them, Jonah. I don't want to see them die.'
That's where the book ends. Jonah's story is not merely history. It has lessons for us. It is God dealing with a soul and bringing that soul to a place of repentance and willing loving service. Could God be dealing with you or me for those reasons too?