生闷气的传道者
约拿书四章
1这事约拿大大不悦，且甚发怒，
2就祷告耶和华说：耶和华啊，我在本国的时候，岂不是这样说吗？我知道你是有恩典、有怜悯的神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且后悔不降所说的灾，所以我急速逃往他施去。
3耶和华啊，现在求你取我的命吧！因为我死了比活着还好。
4耶和华说：你这样发怒合乎理吗？
5于是约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的荫下，要看看那城究竟如何。
6耶和华神安排一棵蓖麻，使其发生高过约拿，影儿遮盖他的头，救他脱离苦楚；约拿因这棵蓖麻大大喜乐。
7次日黎明，神却安排一条虫子咬这蓖麻，以致枯槁。
8日头出来的时候，神安排炎热的东风，日头曝晒约拿的头，使他发昏，他就为自己求死，说：我死了比活着还好！
9神对约拿说：你因这棵蓖麻发怒合乎理吗？他说：我发怒以至于死，都合乎理！
10耶和华说：这蓖麻，不是你栽种的，也不是你培养的；一夜发生，一夜干死，你尚且爱惜；
11何况这尼尼微大城，其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二万多人，并有许多牲畜，我岂能不爱惜呢？
信息分享
约拿不悦的原因很多。首先，他是个犹太人，对神要施恩予外邦人实在很不以为然。对外邦人，他似乎没法有爱心。我们可以批评说他对失丧的灵魂没有爱，但不妨先自问：我们对人的爱心又有多少呢？
他的骄傲也暴露无遗。他原本并不愿向尼尼微城的居民宣讲神的审判，神后来又没有按着他所传的作，反倒要赦免他们。这也让他不悦。
神这次要怎样对付约拿呢？约拿原先坐在棚下，炽烈的阳光晒得他非常辛苦。神使一颗蓖麻奇迹般地快速生长，为他遮荫，使他免受日晒之苦。约拿因这棵蓖麻大大喜悦。也许他正在庆幸，以为自己赢得神的看顾的时候，神却命一条虫子来把蓖麻吃掉。约拿重新曝晒在艳阳之下！他被晒得发昏便大大地发怒。
我们可以想像那时神与约拿的对话。神问：「约拿，你不高兴吗？」约拿撅着嘴说：「你把我的树荫拿去，任由我在这里饱受热风和烈日之苦，你是爱我吗？」「约拿，你只想到自己和你的舒适。难道你不关心城里的人吗？我却关心他们。约拿，我不想看见他们死。」
约拿的故事到这里结束。它不单是一段历史，其中不乏我们要学到的功课。神对待人，是要引领人悔改，并且让人带着爱心乐意去事奉。你与我是否同在神的引领下，面对同样的功课？
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?