Rebellion Meets Grace — the Story of the Prophet JonahEsimerkki

The greatest miracle thus far There have been a lot of miracles in the story of Jonah. The storm was a miracle, its abrupt end was a miracle, the great fish was a miracle, Jonah surviving three days and nights in the belly of the fish was a miracle… But maybe chapter 2 records the greatest miracle of all. In the heart of the seas, Jonah “remembered the LORD” and called out to Him. He even said: “I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.” With these words, he referred to the common practice to pray facing the temple in Jerusalem. This was an expression of seeking God’s presence, since the temple was His special dwelling place. After running away from God for so long, Jonah finally turned around and longed to be in God’s presence again. And God did not push him away. Jonah marvels: “You heard my voice”! Jonah is not the only one who was running away from God, but finally had to surrender. The apostle Paul, for example, was persecuting Christians before Jesus saved him and appointed him as a missionary. We humans tend to be very stubborn. We don’t like to submit ourselves to God. It can take much time and many struggles before we surrender. But if we do, we can be sure that God will not reject our call for mercy. “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you” (Isaiah 30:19).