PrintTwo Men In A Boat (1)
Last week I somehow found myself thinking about the similarities and differences between Jonah and Jesus. The trigger for these comparisons was the fact that each of them had a time in their respective lives when they fell asleep in a boat during a life-threatening storm. I've never seen that link before.
Anyway, the fact that both Jonah and Jesus shared that experience has stirred my interest and I have begun looking into other possible similarities and/or differences. I have a sense that there are some eternal truths here that have application to my life at this stage of my journey.
The first aspect that catches my attention is that both Jonah and Jesus were men with a mission. Jonah was a prophet (2 Kings 14/25) called by God to undertake the specific task of delivering God's word of judgment to the inhabitants of Ninevah (1/2). However, he chose to run from God. Jonah set his course for Tarshish directly away from the will of God (1/3).
Jesus also was a prophet (and much more than a prophet) who was called by God to undertake a specific mission (Luke 4/18,19) and He walked with God. Jesus set his course for Jerusalem, directly into the centre of the will of God (Luke 9/51). Both Jonah and Jesus knew clearly what the Lord God required of them. Jesus submitted and gave Himself to the fulfillment of that purpose. Jonah resisted and tried to escape from that call upon his life.
Obviously, when it comes to God's call upon my life, I want to be like Jesus, not Jonah. But how do I respond if that call or specific mission is not to my liking? What if it seems too hard or requires more than I'm prepared to give? Jonah chose to run from God. How did God respond to the prophet's decision? More on this next time.
