"The Church's heartbeat" - a sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Verses 23 to 26 of 1 Corinthians chapter 11 are some of the most famous and most well-read words in scripture. Often as congregations of Jesus-followers gather around the communion table, these words are read. These are the words of Jesus given to his disciples at the “Last Supper” – the last “Passover” feast that Jesus celebrated with his disciples before his crucifixion. These monumental words are recorded by Paul first here – many years before they were recorded in the Gospel narratives. So when Paul says that he received these words “from the Lord”, he is emphasising their importance and the need to pass them on through the generations. Whether Paul received these words from Jesus on the Damascus Road, or through the oral tradition of the early church, they were deemed to be God-instituted, and thus central to the ongoing worship and life of the church. We could say that these words are the church’s ‘heartbeat’. For these words focus us, not just on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but also on how this act of grace and gift of salvation is central to our lives.

Jesus took the simple and everyday loaf of unleavened bread and gave it a whole new meaning. This bread, as it was broken, would represent the broken body of Jesus as it was tortured and torn asunder on the cross. This bread, as it was then distributed around, would lead us to understand that Jesus’ body had been sacrificed for those present at such an occasion (then, from then on, and of course now) … “This is my body that is for you” (v.24). We are to partake of this symbol of broken bread in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us. This sort of remembrance though is not just an act of the memory, but also a matter of commitment – that we will symbolise in our own very lives the act that we are remembering. Such a “remembrance” takes us back into that original upper room as a participant, then forward into all the environments that need to experience (and embrace) such a dynamic as this. We are thereby endorsing that this sort of sacrifice is the length that God will go to in seeking to bring about reconciliation with his beloved humanity.

Jesus also took another simple and everyday symbol – one of the cups of wine that would be distributed around the “Passover” table – and gave this rich new meaning as well. In the life, death and upcoming resurrection of Jesus, God was offering a new start … through a “new covenant”. God had ‘covenants’ or ‘agreements’ with his people in Israel before, where God would offer relationship, guidance and blessing, expecting trust and faithfulness in return. However such ‘covenants’ were regularly broken by people who chose to go their own way (leading to all sorts of wanderings, disasters and exile). While God always invited his people back into relationship, there always seemed to be a sense of inevitability about human failure. The prophet Jeremiah longed for and anticipated a more enduring type of ‘covenant’ (31:31-34), where we wouldn’t see God’s law as a kind of tick list of things to obey, but rather as a spiritual ethic that we would hold deep and tight in our heart and be worn (quite obviously) on our sleeve.

This “new covenant” ultimately arrived in the form of Jesus. As we accept God’s great gift to us in Jesus, we become part of this “new covenant”, where we live in a sense of freedom brought about by God’s willingness to forgive us our sins. We talked last Sunday about “declaring the praises” of God in the public arena. Here (perhaps along with baptism) is the most central way we do this … “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. This is our representation on earth of the way the Kingdom of God operates i.e. the sacrificial outpouring of the heart of a compassionate God. So even the very act of participation in ‘communion’ is not just deeply personal, but absolutely missional – as this “remembrance” publicly proclaims the glory of God.

Now of course these four verses are often quoted outside of the context given to them by Paul. Paul didn’t just recall and record these words in isolation, but in the context of a certain real live situation. And of course this context gives us a greater idea of their intended impact. Let’s read verses 17 to 22. Here we have Paul’s reaction to a real life occurrence in the church at Corinth. The church there, as a usual part of its life, gathers around a meal. This was sort of a ‘pot-luck’ dinner, where people brought food to share according to their means. Yet, in this particular case in Corinth, those who have arrived early or on time have started eating and drinking, failing to wait for those who can only come later. They possibly also ate all the best of the food, maybe even the whole lot. You might say, ‘bad luck for the latecomers … they should have been on time’, until you understand the background.

The ones who were early or on time would have been the rich and well-off, the ones who would not have had to receive permission to get off work to get there on time. The latecomers would have been the hired workers or slaves who obviously did not have the level of power or freedom as the others. These ones would have also been the much poorer group, who would probably have relied on this church feast as their best or maybe only decent feed for the week. The well-off would have been encouraged to be generous in their provision for the poor, yet in the way it was working out, they were eating and drinking most everything anyway. And they would have incorporated the “Lord’s Supper” (‘communion’) into such a feast as this!!! Do you see the hypocrisy?

The Corinthian church had privatised their celebration – they were acting as (selfish) individuals rather than as a (sacrificial) collective. They should have been actively challenging the socio-economic divisions of the world around them … not reinforcing them!! Didn’t this gathering around food have a higher purpose than just satisfying appetite!? Wasn’t the bringing of food and wine a means to an greater end!? If not, says Paul, then you should have stayed home and eaten there (v.22a)! But there was a bigger picture – the formation of a caring egalitarian community based on the life of Jesus. The ‘pot-luck dinner’ combined with the “Lord’s Supper” should have been a (very natural) means to this end! In the way the Corinthians were behaving though, they were bringing humiliation to the poor (v.22b), and at the same time showing contempt for this “remembrance” and the high aspirations of the church.

No wonder Paul would then remind them of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Let’s read on through to verse 32. The behaviour referred to earlier was regarded by Paul as “unworthy” (v.27) – “unworthy” of those who have been given the ‘gospel’, unsuitable for those who should know better, and for those who should have God’s Spirit dwelling in such a way as to make this behaviour unthinkable. With this level of abuse of the meaning of the “Lord’s Supper”, no wonder Paul raises the possible implications of this … being “answerable for the body and blood of the Lord (v.27b)”! Oh dear!! This doesn’t sound good! This phrase suggests that Jesus would have died in vain. This means wasting Christ’s sacrifice. This means effectively rejecting God’s forgiveness that cost so much. This is because, as seen by the Corinthian church’s behaviour, nothing in reality has changed for the better (if anything “for the worse” – v.17b)! More harm is being done than good. God’s character is being publicly besmirched.

So it’s time for members of the church in Corinth to have a good hard look at themselves – refer verse 28. The “examine yourselves” is often taken purely in a personal moral way, but we can see in context that such an examination goes way further than that, and certainly takes in a broad collective ethical consideration. FF Bruce says that, “The context implies that [this] self-examination will be specially directed to ascertaining whether or not [a person] is living and acting in love and charity with his [or her] neighbours”. It is just so important for the internal workings of a church to measure up to the sacrificial charter on which we are based. Double-mindedness or a resistance to the full leading of God, leads to an outcome (or “judgment” – the word Paul uses) that can be really dire. To place human determined limits on our level of response to God can actually harm our health.

So ‘examination’ is needed; so also is “discerning the body” (v.29) – which would indicate “discerning the body of Christ” i.e. “discerning (my contribution to) the health of the church’s functioning. This again highlights the interconnectedness of those who form Jesus’ body in the church. We ‘broken pieces of humanity’ are being reformed into a new collective whole with Jesus at the head. We are thus needing to be attentive to other members of this body (who we are now connected to) and to those things that will aid them in their particular functioning (or, on the other hand, might impede them). We might call all this a ‘complete spiritual audit’. How can we work in harmony with, encourage, and aid the health of … other parts of our body?

Now just before everyone decides not to participate in communion and runs for the door, we should note that Paul never meant that to happen. Verse 28 says, ”Examine yourselves, and … then eat”. This teaching from Paul was not meant to exclude people from participating in the “Lord’s Supper”, but rather motivate us toward a full understanding and application of its very significant meaning. The light and truth of the gospel message can only be declared with integrity and effectiveness when God’s people get their act into gear! And this demonstration of God’s glory depends equally on horizontal relationships as it does on the vertical relationship. We are possibly not going to be able to resolve all the things going on in our mind before the bread and the cup arrive, but what we can resolve is – that we will look at certain areas carefully (with God) in the days to come … and we take the bread and the cup in that mindset.

“So then [Paul says in verse 33], my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another”. Do not rush ahead individualistically as ‘the world’ might, but wait until everyone is present (acknowledging your connectedness in Jesus). This “waiting” can be extended, I think, beyond dining arrangements to broader activities of church life. And this, I think, is proven by Paul then going on to talk about the sharing of spiritual gifts for the common good (12:1ff,7). But for now, how is it that we need to “wait for one another”??? I think ‘patience’ with others would fit here. I also think that this would include ‘care’ for the hurting. And then as well there would be ‘concern’ and ‘support’ for the faltering.  One commentator (Marion L Soards) explains this collective “waiting” as follows: “to put both others and the whole church before … individual desires”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Having said all we have said, this is a perfect opportunity, around the “Lord’s table”, to dedicate ones’ life afresh to God, accepting all of what Jesus has done for us. This is a gift that needs to be received, unwrapped, embraced, and taken on as our inheritance. In the days ahead we can properly attune our lives to the teaching of Jesus and the will of God for us (in the guiding company of God’s Spirit). With this as our mindset and heartbeat, we have been welcomed to this table of God’s hospitality. This is God’s love feast … there is forgiveness for all!

"The Church - who are we?" - an exploration through the lens of 1 Peter 2:4-10 & Psalm 96

Who are we as the church?

How would you describe the church, especially in regard to how it relates to the general community?

Let’s delve into some scripture that informs this question of ‘who we are’ in the church. 1 Peter 2:4-10 presents a great vision of the church drawing on many old testament images and metaphors originally concerning God’s people Israel. [Peter, we would agree, would have a great interest in this subject from the moment he heard the words of Jesus (recorded in Matthew 16:18), on this rock {whatever that meant} I will build my church.]

In 1 Peter 2:4 people are encouraged to “come” or ‘draw near’ to Jesus who is described as a precious “living stone”. Then verse 5 describes those who do “come” as themselves “living stones”. So as you accept and follow THE “living stone” you likewise become one of many “living stones” of God’s ‘new temple’ … referred to specifically as a “spiritual house”. [This would of course be a house of prayer for all nations, not the den of robbers that the Jerusalem temple had sometimes become (Mark 10:17).]

Jesus is also described (in verse 6 quoting from old testament texts) as the “cornerstone”, meaning the “stone” that the entire structure is built upon … the first stone that is laid … the foundation stone. The “cornerstone” Jesus is the only foundation that is perfectly safe, sure and true.

Thus we might answer the question of ‘who are we’ as: a spiritual house built upon Jesus.

Before going on, we should note that there is a mention that the one who stakes their life (“believes”) in Jesus, “will not be put to shame” (refer verse 6) … which indicates that we will never really regret or be disappointed or embarrassed by such a decision. Even though the way might be difficult, it will be purposeful and hopeful. And ultimately the follower of Jesus will be eternally vindicated! And conversely, as shown in verses 7 & 8, those who disagree with God or reject Jesus will surely be proven to be wrong. These words were very important to hear for those under strenuous persecution.

Now, in reflecting on this “spiritual house” from verse 5, we should move our thoughts away from a rectangular temple building made of stone to a vision of God’s assembled people. The glory of God is now not seen through the beauty of great architecture and golden decoration, but rather through the beauty of transformed lives and active faith.

Then what happens in such a ‘spiritual house’? What does this look like?

Verses 5 & 9 give us a few images.

First, a “…holy priesthood” offering “spiritual sacrifices”. Priests in Israel were ‘set apart’ for particular tasks, that of teaching God’s law and facilitating sacrifices for the atonement of people’s sins. Thus they were responsible for the two-way street of taking the knowledge of God to the people and bringing the people toward God’s forgiveness. Thus in Israel a priest would stand in the middle between God on the one hand and all the rest of the people on the other. Bringing this thought to the role of the church, we start to see the church as interpreters and witnesses of God for those others who don’t know God. We are thus God’s representatives or ambassadors or advocates in the world. An ambassador represents their country to the other nations; an advocate speaks the views of the one they represent to a wider audience.

So another answer to the question of ‘who we are’ might be: a people set apart [made holy] by God through which God can bless (and save) the world.

Now in the ‘new covenant’ under Jesus, where Jesus has already provided the ultimate sacrifice for human sin, all God’s people have priestly like roles and responsibilities … referred to here as “spiritual sacrifices”. It was an honour to be a “priest” in Israel, and it is certainly an honour to be a “priest” in God’s kingdom today.

But what are these “spiritual sacrifices” that are talked about in verse 5?

1.       COMMITMENT to the 3 “r’s” – repentance, renewal, response;

2.       PARTICIPATION in worship under the broadest application – including acts of witness, kindness, service, sharing, and the bringing of gifts and offerings that enable ministry and the spread of the gospel;

3.       CO-OPERATION – all God’s people are now chosen for, and should be focussed on, God’s mission … collectively, together, as one, yet with our God-given and complimentary diversity, which often requires the complete ‘sacrifice’ of personal agendas in the cause of the greater common good.

Verse 9 offers three further images which build on what has already been said:

·         “a chosen race” – a specially representative and missional people, who can be assured of God’s close company and various blessings. This once related to a particular ethnic grouping, but now applies to all who believe in and follow Jesus.

·         “a holy nation” – as above “holy” meaning ‘set apart’. The Hebrew drawn on here suggests being different or distinctive, but not so much for its own sake; rather ‘set apart’ for a distinct purpose. We are deemed “holy” or ‘set apart’ by believing in Jesus, accepting his gift of mercy, following him, and walking in God’s Holy Spirit. In this sense we don’t become “holy”, we are already “holy” by definition i.e. ‘set apart’ for God’s purposes. What we can become along the journey is more obedient and more equipped disciples.

·         “God’s own people” – ones who God will continue to work in and through; and in being so treasured can thus appreciate their high value. As already mentioned, this is no longer defined by national identity nor geographical boundary, but rather through allegiance to Jesus.

We should note that we are so described not through any merit of our own, but rather through responding humbly to God’s mercy. Yet, there is the implication in all these descriptions that we are to live out in our daily lives the practical implications of our status as God’s own people. We have to ‘be’ who we ‘are’, and this has further implications in every dimension of personal and social life. God’s character is reflected in our character!!!

All of these descriptions are real “in order that” (refer verse 9) we “may proclaim the mighty acts” of God … meaning what?

But before we answer that … there is a helpful line drawn in verse 10 – there is a moment in time when we cross from being our own individual person – over to become one of God’s collective family, and also from one not experiencing God’s grace and mercy – over to one who is experiencing this on a daily basis. This should be our decisive moment of redemption (from darkness into light). This is a line which we should not regress back over to where we were before! So another response to ‘who are we’ is: we are part of God’s movement living together in an atmosphere charged with forgiveness.

All of the above descriptions i.e. “holy priesthood”, “God’s own people”, etc. are the case “in order that” we “may proclaim the mighty acts” of God … meaning what?

We, if you like, are ‘advertising’ all the excellencies of God – who God is and what he has done. And we exhibit transformed, active and effective lives that represent God’s character, creativity, light and mercy.

This latter part of verse 9 can also be translated, “… that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (NIV).

“Declaring the praises” of God – is that another good description of ‘who we are’ as the church: people who deliberately yet naturally declare the praises of God in the public domain.

These are declarations concerning God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation. We praise God because of God’s inherent glory and worthiness. God is the only One deserving of such allegiance and praise and thus evermore due such declarations.

Such declarations are made publicly, clearly, loudly … not just to bring encouragement to one another, but to enable God to draw others to him (who do not know God yet). This is missional praise!! In the same way as Israel’s praise was meant to be heard by foreign nations, the church’s praise is meant to be heard way beyond its walls and confines. Our activities of worship i.e. singing, praying, reading the scriptures and discussing them, and our practice of the sacraments of communion and baptism, are to be overheard across the community. They are to be somewhat of a summons to experience the glory of God – this is “doxological evangelism” (as dubbed by Edmund Clowney)! John Stott writes that it would be impossible for me to truly worship God, if I don’t actually give two cents whether anyone else does or not. So worship is not real without a sense of proclamation or witness.

John Dickson writes as follows: Our friends and neighbours live and breathe in the presence of the greatest Lord. Yet, they do not know it. We, the people of the Lord, who know his majesty over heaven and earth, must stand up on the bus, so to speak, and, in whatever way is appropriate to our gifts, personality and circumstances, promote [God’s] glory.

Declaring God’s praises is something we should do confidently, enthusiastically, spontaneously, excitedly, even vigorously; but not boastfully nor arrogantly as if we were in anyway responsible for how great God is. Rather this is done with humility as grateful recipients, and largely for the benefit of others.

Psalm 96 provides one great example of declaring God’s praises. Here, those who have experienced personally and collectively God’s blessings are invited to share about this far and wide. And whether it was praise from the Jerusalem temple spreading out across the cosmopolitan city, or whether it was the praise from dispersed Jews wherever they had settled and worshipped, those who did not know YHWH would hear clear witness to his name. Sentiments expressed here like “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised” (v.4) would drift on the breeze to all those within earshot, who may just find their needs and aspirations addressed by such words. And we know that many Gentiles found their way to Jewish synagogues wanting to know more.

This psalm expresses various reasons for praise …

·         for God’s daily acts of salvation (v.2),

·         for the signs of God’s activity within human community (v.3),

·         for God’s credibility as opposed to other pretend ‘gods’ (v.4-5),

·         for God’s general creativity (v.5),

·         for God’s presence and beauty seen amongst his people (v.6),

·         for the quality of God’s care and governance of the world (v.10),

·         for the rightness of all God’s judgements (v.10 & 13).

We can think of singing this “new song” (verse 1) in two ways. Firstly, this can relate to all the good things God is doing now. Each generation brings new reasons to praise God. One generation of Israel would have praised God for their liberation from Egypt, while a later generation would have declared praises for their return from exile. For us, possibly each new day brings more reasons to tell our story and offer God praise. And when this is expressed, this gives other people reason to consider if such blessing could be true and available to them. Secondly, this “new song” can relate to the eternal truths that we have long adopted, yet can be seen as “new” to those who have never heard them before.

Looking at Psalm 96 another way, in declaring such praise …

·         there is the possibility that other people will seek this salvation

·         there is the possibility that others will notice God’s presence in community life

·         there is the possibility that the many false gods (broadly speaking) will be revealed as worthless as against the wonder of the true God

·         there is the possibility that God will be recognised as the creator of the universe

·         there is the possibility that God will be seen as the originator of all things that are good and beautiful

·         there is the possibility that other people will join in the mission of redeeming God’s creation

·         there is the possibility that others will seek God’s truth, peace and justice.

"Caring about others" - a sermon on 1 Kings 8:41-43 & the book of Jonah

We talked last week about being a light in our community, and the sorts of things we need to do to turn the lights on in our neighbourhoods. Along this line I was intrigued to read part of Solomon’s prayer on the occasion of the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:41-43). Solomon not only prayed the obvious in terms of the insiders (the people of Israel), but also considered the needs and situations of those outside this national grouping. It seems that Solomon fully understood God’s statement to the ‘father’ of the Jewish faith, Abraham, that he would be a blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:3). Israel was chosen by God to be a credible witness of God’s love and presence to all the nations of the earth.

Thus Solomon hoped that the presence of God (as represented in this new temple) would be available and appreciated by the broader community. Many people groups found themselves impressed by the character and ethical teaching of the people of Israel, which reflected well on their God – YHWH. Monotheism, rather than a plethora of various gods, was also attractive to many. Others would have heard of God’s great acts of mercy and liberation on behalf of his people Israel, such as the ‘exodus’ from slavery in Egypt.

Solomon prayed that such “foreigners” coming from distant lands, seeking a new future with all their various expectations, would receive all that they would be dreaming of. This got me to thinking about all our new local residents (from wherever they have come from) and all the hopes and dreams they have in their new homes. We mightn’t know them yet, and they may not link with any of our activities anytime soon, but surely we can pray for them in such terms as these: that they will have a positive and happy home life, and that they will be able to participate well in a mutually enriching experience of community.

Part of this praying would be for the people being prayed for to realise Who the ultimate source of their well-being is. And then this would create an even greater groundswell of interest, with a great base of witness being formed. People would come to know God and God would receive the glory! All this from just factoring in care and concern for people outside our particular number. As we read back in the earlier verses, we notice that Solomon was actually hoping for the same outcomes and blessings for these “foreigners” as he was for the people of Israel … with no apparent partiality!

And Solomon seems to pray in this way quite naturally, without giving it a moment’s thought – it was just the most right thing to do, even (and maybe especially) at such an important national event as the dedication of the long awaited temple (seven years in the construction). At the moment which may have caused the most introspection (looking inward) and the most nationalistic pride, Solomon paused to think and pray far and wide. Would this have been what we would have done?

Christopher J H Wright writes, “Sadly, Israel did not always match in practice the open spirit of Solomon’s prayer here, but became negative, hostile and exclusive towards foreigners”. There would be times when people are less than keen to concern themselves outside the walls of their home, or outside the walls of their church, or outside the parameters of their national boundaries. There would be times when our thoughts are fully focussed inward … in survival mode or maintenance mode or in protection mode.

An ‘us and them’ mindset so easily develops – some areas of the media are good at purveying this ‘us and them’ divide, for it builds rating figures and thus advertising dollars. It is easy for us to want to judge, ignore or reject people who are very different to us, or have behaviour patterns that repel us. There is one famous example of this very attitude in the Bible – a person who tried to escape his calling because he couldn’t accept that God would actively embrace people who came from a notoriously bad place. This was Jonah.

God called Jonah to go and preach the message and represent God in Nineveh. But Jonah ran in the opposite direction as far as he could go. Later in the book we come to learn why Jonah was so resistant to God’s call – Jonah could not come to terms with the possibility that this mission might actually be successful. Jonah was not prepared for such ‘evil’ or dysfunctional people to change for the good. Jonah, unlike Solomon, was stuck in a negative mindset about such people.

As the story continues, after three days and three nights in a whale’s belly to think about things (together with his miraculous rescue), Jonah finally did what God had asked him to do. And in chapter three of the book that bears Jonah’s name, we read of the remarkable outcomes. And this from a reluctant missionary – how much better might it have been if Jonah had been really enthusiastic.

We read a lot in the Old Testament that general ‘wicked’ and unjust living in a city would eventually lead to its overthrow. God’s prophets often had to seek to correct Israel itself along these lines, which was at times met with stubborn resistance and thus subsequent military overthrow and exile. The warning to Nineveh (3:4) was “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” As we come to see later, Jonah’s mindset actually was … ‘I can’t wait for forty days to pass and then it will be over for Nineveh and I can go back home’.

Yet this was not God’s mindset, and clearly God had already been working and preparing in Nineveh, because we see how quickly and how positively the people there respond (3:5). If we fully had a grip on how corrupt life in Nineveh was, God’s personal intervention may seem improbable, and the outcome even more so! Yet, God can and does seek to draw people from the ends of the earth to himself, and attract worship and prayer even from those who do not yet fully know him [in all his biblical revelation], and answer the prayers of those who do not yet belong to his covenant people (C J H Wright). Desperation is often a prayer in itself!

We read that the people of Nineveh now “believed God” and, as evidenced by their fasting and wearing of humble sackcloth, they sincerely ‘repented’. This was all a pretty good result from a one sentence sermon!! Some people are right on the verge of embracing God, they are just waiting for a personal invitation. Whether there was a fear concerning  impending doom, a sense of guilt, or whether there was a desire for a different future, the people of Nineveh were ready. Then followed the king in the groundswell of humility and belief (3:6). This is exactly the response prayed for by Solomon at the dedication of the temple.

So you would have thought that Jonah would be overjoyed … but we read (4:1): ... this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. As mentioned earlier Jonah had written Nineveh off, and he would have been quite happy when destruction came! Surprisingly and threateningly for Jonah, the people of this city were ready for change – a response that Jonah was not prepared for and didn’t like. As we read on in chapter four we see that Jonah actually did understand God’s character and way of thinking (4:2 – gracious, merciful, patient, abundantly loving), but still could not accept this positive outcome for Nineveh.

Jonah’s desire to die rather than change his mindset was replicated, for those familiar with Victor Hugo’s book “Les Miserables”, in the character of the stringent policeman Javert, who could not accept that the former ‘criminal’ Jean Valjean had been able to change so dramatically and become a beacon of the community.

So God had a bit of work to do on Jonah’s spirit to bring him into line with God’s way of thinking and acting. Do we ever pray for a person or witness to our faith while still harbouring thoughts that we may not really want this particular person to receive God’s grace or be accepted by God? Can we accept that even someone who has hurt us deeply can be forgiven and restored to relationship with God? Do we speak the truth of God’s mercy easily amongst ‘insiders’, but apply it sparingly to ‘outsiders’? If you read on in chapter four, you see God taking Jonah through a little life scenario that exposes Jonah’s small-mindedness which has totally blocked out any broader concern for the world that God loves.

God, as we see in the dramatic and magnificent final verse in the book of Jonah (4:11) has an emotional investment in all of his creation. What God has created and originally deemed “very good”, God will want to redeem and facilitate re-creation. We do not have that level of investment, for we did not create the world and all its inhabitants, but we are clearly called to embrace God’s level of connection and investment, and thus grow in our care and concern for other people’s situations. Solomon understood, then Jonah has been challenged to accept this (and we wonder what might been recorded in chapter five). Our ultimate example, Jesus, lived out God’s love and compassion day in and day out of his three year ministry.