My wife had a co-worker who believed that the acronym LOL stood for “Lots of Love.” For those who don’t text shorthand, LOL means “laugh out loud.” So, thinking the letters said, “Lots of love,” she sent it to anyone who texted her with tragic or bad news. When our family dog died, she sent a “LOL” text, and to be honest, her mix-up did cause us to laugh while we were grieving.
Embracing laughter in the middle of our grief didn’t make the pain disappear, but it reminded us that life is complex. Letting the light of laughter shine through the darkest of times, bringing us closer to healing, one smile at a time.
So, how are you making someone smile today? The bible says there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; sometimes, mixing those does bring healing.
Jamey
Weekly Prayer
Teach us, Gracious God, to cherish the balance between weeping and laughing, understanding that both are Your gifts. May we remember that there is the potential for joy in every tear and the seed of laughter in every sorrow. Guide us to be mindful of how we can bring a smile to someone’s face today, reflecting Your light in a world that often feels heavy. Let our lives be a testament to the truth that there is always a reason to smile and hope with You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: Even in sorrow, there is always something to be grateful for. Seek out those moments of joy and let them be a source of strength.
A Question to Consider: How can I help others find moments of joy or laughter during challenging times?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
What is a snake’s favorite subject in school? Hisssss-tory!
What did the calculator say to the worried student? Don’t worry, you can always count on me!
Photo Taken By Me
The photo is of a school in the mountains of Honduras. Are you interested in visiting or helping build a school there? Please send me an email. We will be going back soon.
This morning, I want to introduce you to Sir Entitle-a-Lot – if you are a child of the 90s, not to be confused with Sir-Mix-a-lot. This knight of dubious valor believes that he is the center of the universe and that everyone else is merely an extra in the grand epic that is his life.
Sir Entitle-a-Lot’s story begins in the mythical land of Instant Gratification, where everyone is told from birth that they are special—so special that the world owes them everything. Our hero, raised on a steady diet of participation trophies and undeserved accolades, grew up convinced that he was destined for greatness without the inconvenience of hard work.
If you don’t know him by his name, “Sir Entitle-a-Lot,” you may know him by his nicknames of “Chad” or “Karen.” Sorry for all the thoughtful and generous Karen’s and Chad’s for whom Sir Entitle-a-Lot has robbed of their good name.
We always find “Sir-Entitle-a-Lot” demanding his way in customer service lines by claiming what he deserves or what should be his right.
Armed with his smartphone and an overinflated sense of self-importance, he takes to social media to air his grievances and demand recognition. Whether it’s a lukewarm latte or a delayed delivery, no slight is too small to escape his wrath.
He crafts epic posts filled with CAPS LOCK and exclamation points, expecting his followers to rally to his cause. His cause usually begins with, “How dare they…….” and is filled with calls for his rights to be respected and his over-inflated ego to be caressed.
If we are honest, we all have an inner “Sir Entitle-a-Lot” in each of us.
Entitlement usually occurs when we approach life out of obligation. When our “get to” turns into “have to,” we are on the path to entitlement. When we get to go to work to support our family and provide a good service to people, it turns into “I have to” go to work, and then we begin to get resentful. When we get to spend time with friends, it turns into “I have to” spend time with friends; we start thinking that the time we spend should be in a way that meets our needs.
Before long, what is an opportunity becomes an obligation. An obligation produces the attitude of resentment, and resentment that festers transforms into entitlement.
Entitlement is a failure to understand the concept of freedom and the responsibilities that come with it. Entitlement is false freedom.
Freedom consists of not doing whatever we want but of the commitment to do what we should.
The apostle Paul addressed this confusion about freedom in a letter to the churches in the region of Galatia.
Christianity began as a Jewish messianic movement in Jerusalem, but its message was for all humanity, so it quickly spread beyond Israel. By the time Paul became a missionary, there were as many non-Jews as Jewish people in the Jesus movement.
Starting as a Jewish messianic movement meant that the first Christian leaders were influenced by practices mandated in the Torah, such as keeping the Sabbath, eating kosher food, and circumcision for men. There were many Jewish Christians who believed that for non-Jews to become a part of God’s covenant family, they needed to obey the laws of the Torah as well. Some of these Jewish Christians had come to the Galatian churches and began undermining Paul, demanding the circumcision of all male Christians.
The Christian converts in Galatia, located in Modern day Turkey, were non-Jewish. So, imagine if someone came in after this service and started teaching that to be Christian, any males in the congregation needed to go through a ritual similar to circumcision. You can imagine there might be more than a few saying to themselves, “Yeah, I don’t think this is for me.”
When Paul found out, he was both heartbroken and angry. He says about those causing trouble, “I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves” (Galatians 5:12)!
Paul argues that if you give into this false teaching, you will be enslaving yourself to the very law that Christ has come to set you free from. He says, “For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Falling for the false teaching of those trying to lead the people astray is a big deal for Paul. He says, “If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again, I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. You who want to be reckoned as righteous by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5: 3 – 4).
But Paul also warns that the freedom you have been given is not the freedom to do whatever you want. Paul warns the people in Galatia not to be enslaved to the law, but he doesn’t want them to see their freedom in Christ as liberty to live their lives however they want.
He says, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another” (Galatians 5: 13).
Freedom is not for self-indulgence but for the love of others. Freedom is not for selfishness but for the sake of the neighbor.
We live in this freedom by being led by the Spirit of Christ, who lives in us. We refuse to be shaped by the desires of the flesh, which always leads to selfishness and entitlement. If we live by our selfish desires, we get the fruit of those desires, which is self-indulgence. But if we live by the Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Say it with me: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
For the next three weeks, I want us to examine the fruit of the Spirit and consider how our lives should reflect these characteristics. The first description of the fruit of the Spirit is love. Ask yourself, “What is keeping you from being loving towards others?” Is it pride? Is it selfishness? Is it greed? When Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12), the love he calls us to is the self-giving love God has shown us in Jesus. Love is how God chose to communicate with us. God sent Jesus into our experience to show us the love of God, and for those who have experienced the depth of God’s love, God sends into the experience of others to show the love of God. Love is a verb, not an adjective. It is something we do, not just feel. Love is about choosing to be present.
The second description of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Joy is focused on relationships rather than circumstances. Joy is the experience of connection. Joy says, “I am glad you exist.”
The third description of the fruit of the Spirit is peace. Author Anne Lamott says, “Peace is joy at rest.” Peace is the result of a heart that is grounded in Jesus. The world might be in chaos, but the soul rests in HIm.
I started out by talking about entitlement. I said that entitlement is a false freedom. It usually shows up as a byproduct of resentment, and resentment comes when we let opportunities become obligations.
I want to reverse that pattern and say life in the Spirit is grounded in love expressed in joy with a heart at peace.
Before leaving the house each morning, remind yourself, “I will walk in the Spirit, loving others by spreading joy and carrying peace in my heart.” Say it with me, “I will walk in the Spirit, loving others by spreading joy and carrying peace in my heart.” And in doing so, you are living in the freedom of Christ. Amen.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia.)
Discussion Questions
How do you recognize “Sir Entitle-a-Lot” in your own life? Can you share a recent experience where you felt entitled and how it affected your actions or attitude?
The sermon mentioned that true freedom involves responsibility, not just doing whatever we want. How does this understanding of freedom challenge how you live your daily life?
What does it mean to you to “walk in the Spirit”? How do you practically live out the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace—in your interactions with others?
The sermon highlighted that love is a verb, not just a feeling. How can you actively show love in your relationships this week? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate love in a tangible way?
Joy was described as being rooted in relationships rather than circumstances. How can you cultivate joy in your life, especially when faced with difficult situations?
The sermon quoted Anne Lamott, saying, “Peace is joy at rest.” How do you find and maintain peace when your external circumstances are chaotic? What practices help you stay grounded in Christ during turbulent times?
Prayer
Gracious God,
As we reflect on the fruits of Your Spirit—love, joy, and peace—may they take root in our hearts and transform our lives. Help us to love as You have loved us, to find joy in the relationships You have blessed us with, and to carry peace within us, even in life’s chaos.
Lord, as we go through this week, may we walk in Your Spirit, spreading joy, showing love, and carrying peace in our hearts. Let us be a reflection of Your grace and mercy to a world in desperate need of it.
We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, who has set us free.
Amen.
Benediction
Go now in the freedom of the Spirit to love and serve others, to spread joy, and to carry peace in your heart. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Can I tell you a secret? I started preparing for my departure the day I arrived at Gainesville First United Methodist Church. I am unsure if other pastors do this, but when I start a new appointment, I pray about how it should be the day I leave. I am a United Methodist pastor, and we signed up for an itinerant system. I will one day leave.
Granted, when I first arrived, we thought we would only be here two to three years in an associate capacity. The District Superintendent told us that. But I have learned they are just as clueless about God’s plans as everyone else.
When I look at the New Testament, I am in good company when I preach and lead with the end in mind. The author of 2 Peter encourages his congregation to live as they would want to be seen when Jesus returns.
In 2 Peter 3:10, the author says, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.”
So, if the day of the Lord arrives suddenly, we are told, “Strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3: 14 – 15).
In a world where Christians are divided in angry rhetoric, striving to be found at peace is a good word for us today.
Jesus will return. We profess it as one of the core beliefs of our tradition. He said as much when he was on earth, “About that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13: 32 – 33).
But before he said this, Jesus said, “I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” (Mark 13:30). So, as the first-generation disciples begin dying off, they ask the question, “When will all this happen?” “When will he return?”
Soon, and very soon, we are going to see the king. How soon? When?
Have you ever been on a long trip with a child? What is the most common thing they ask? “Are we there yet?” Ten minutes into the journey, “Are we there yet?” Thirty minutes into the trip, “Are we there yet?”
As the first generation Christians are dying off, the second generation Christians are asking, “Are we there yet?” “Is he coming back soon?”
The author of 2 Peter warns readers not to doubt God’s promise. The delay is not because God is not keeping up God’s end of the bargain; it is for the sake of salvation. He says, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9).
God’s delay is an opportunity to grow in grace.
Grace is possible for the person who takes the long view. Most of what divides and polarizes us today catches our attention immediately. Social media creators and politicians know this. If you look back over your life at the things you got upset about, most of them have no relevance to your life today. But it might have ruined relationships with children or grandchildren, stolen time away from loved ones, and affected your health in ways you cannot get back.
I consider the day I will leave on the day I arrive because I don’t want the in-between details to distract me from the greater goal of seeing people grow in Christ and the church live into its mission.
As we begin a new school year, I want to encourage parents and grandparents to take a similar approach to the year. As you send your child off to school, begin to pray about who they will become 180 days from now. Ask yourself, “What lessons do I want my child to learn?” “What character do I want my children to develop?” “How different do I want them to be 180 days from now?”
And when it is difficult to see them as any different than they are now, take another lesson from the Apostle Paul. In his greeting to the church, Paul refers to the Christians in Corinth as “called to be saints.”
If you read the letter, the characters seem to be anything but saints. They are argumentative and divisive, have issues, and are messed up. And yet, in verse two of the first chapter, Paul calls them saints and sanctified.
Paul addresses the Christians in Corinth not as they are but as they are becoming. And the only way they are becoming saints is by the grace of God. We’re sanctified in Christ Jesus. We’ve been made righteous in Christ. We are being remade in the image of God as we follow Christ.
If truth be told, our lives and our church are messed up. But we need leaders who will guide us toward the people we are becoming. We need parents who parent their children into who they are becoming in Christ. We need spouses who see one another in the persons they are becoming. If we are going to impact this world, we need to lead from where we want people to go. If we want to see our children be all they can be in Christ, we need to parent in a way that sees them as saints.
Living as saints for God’s tomorrow is the picture of God’s grace. We are all messed up. By the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, we are called to be saints. God sent His son to die on the cross for us. God sent God’s Spirit to indwell us to make us what we can be. And God will one day send His Son to return to take possession of what is a reflection of his image.
If you have your phone, pull it out and take a selfie. Text it to yourself, and underneath it, write “saint.” You don’t deserve that title. You can’t earn it. But by the grace of God, when Jesus returns, He will call you one of His saints. Do the same thing for your children and your spouse.
Let’s see people not just as they are but as they are becoming—saints in the making by God’s grace. Lead your families, communities, your church, and lives from a place of future grace and transformation. Let us be the leaders, parents, and spouses who guide our loved ones toward becoming all they can be in Christ. Together, let’s reflect God’s image and prepare for the day He calls us His saints.
Begin today living for God’s tomorrow. Amen.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia.)
Discussion Questions
How does the idea of preparing for your departure from the day you arrive apply to different areas of your life (work, relationships, personal goals)?
In a world filled with division and conflict, how can striving to be found at peace, as mentioned in 2 Peter 3:14-15, change the way we interact with others?
How can viewing others as saints in the making, as Paul did with the Corinthians, transform your relationships with family, friends, and coworkers?
For parents and grandparents, how does praying and planning for your children’s future character and faith influence your approach to parenting?
What role do we play in helping others grow in their faith and become who God has called them to be? How can you support others in your church community?
Prayer
Lord, we commit ourselves to Your will and purpose. Help us see the bigger picture without being distracted by this world’s immediate concerns and divisions. Grant us the patience to grow in grace, understanding that Your delay is an opportunity for salvation and transformation.
Today, we commit to living for Your tomorrow, embracing the title of “saint” not by our merit but by Your grace. Strengthen us to be the leaders, parents, and spouses who guide others toward becoming all they can be in Christ.
In Jesus’ precious name, we pray.
Amen.
Benediction
May the Holy Spirit empower you to be the leaders, parents, and spouses who see beyond today, envisioning the people God is shaping you to become. Let your life be a testament to His love, a beacon of hope in a divided world.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, knowing that you are called, sanctified, and deeply loved by God. Amen.
“Now listen to this story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country” (Matthew 21: 33 NLT).
This is how Jesus begins in the telling of a parable just five days before he is put to death on the cross. It is Tuesday of Holy Week. The Temple Rulers, Pharisees, and Sadducees are still reeling from his actions on Palm Sunday. He drives out and overturns the tables of money changers in the Temple. The religious elite questioned his authority. He refuses to give them a direct answer. They are angry and getting angrier as each day passes.
“When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce,” Jesus continues (21: 34).
And one after the other, the tenants killed the servants. The landowner sends more, and each time, they are killed.
“Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son’” (Matthew 21: 38). They don’t respect the son. They kill the son.
What were they thinking? Did they really think they would inherit the vineyard by killing the landowner’s son?
The Pharisees and other religious leaders immediately made the connection. They knew this was a story about the relationship of God—the landowner—and his chosen people—the vineyard. They knew they were the tenants. They were the stewards of the land, of the people. The servants sent by the landowner were the Old Testament prophets, for whom the people refused to listen and instead had them killed.
They heard the end of the story with its harsh judgment, and they would still have the son killed in less than five days.
The Pharisees are having difficulty seeing what God is doing in front of them in the person of Jesus. We said last week that if we let it, religion can blind us from the truth of the gospel. Religion can blind us of our needs and the needs of others to the hope of the gospel.
Last week, we were introduced to another Pharisee, Saul. Saul had a transformative experience with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. He went from Saul to Paul, but more than that, he had his eyes opened to God’s gift of salvation in the person of Jesus.
Paul planted a church in Galatia, and over time, the church began to be influenced by believers with Jewish backgrounds who taught that to be a Jesus follower, one must first follow the Jewish laws and regulations.
The apostle Paul makes it clear to the Galatians and to us that you are only made right through faith in Jesus. Nothing you can add to this message will make it any more true.
I read a story about a woman who recalled her childhood during the Depression. She overheard her parents talking one night about how only a dollar and some change were left between them. As a child, I worried all night about what would happen. How would we survive the winter?
The next morning, her mother called her and her brother, saying, “I want you to take this money and walk to the store and buy as much peach ice cream as you can, then hurry home before it melts.” Her mother handed her all the money that they had.
When they returned from the store, the house was full of neighbors, and her mother played piano music. The afternoon was one of laughter, singing, and peach ice cream.
Many years later, this woman asked her mother about that day. Her mother replied, “Honey when all you have is a dollar and change, you know it isn’t money that will save you. Only God will save you. I just thought we needed a party so we could all remember.”
Paul tells the Galatians, “The former laws, the rituals, the festivals, none of that will save you. It is only pocket change. We are set right before God by trusting Jesus as the answer to our brokenness.”
Yet, if we are not careful, we will become the tenants in Jesus’ story and think that we are responsible for controlling and possessing the gift of God’s salvation. Then, we will become no different from tenants and will suffer the same fate.
In chapter three of Galatians, Paul tells us the law served its purpose. It held a custodial function with the authority to restrain sin but lacked the power to liberate us from sin. Paul says, “If a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law” (Galatians 3: 21).
But being made right before God, the law could not do. So Paul explains, “Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3: 24 – 26).
This is true for everyone. We are all children of God through faith in Jesus. This is where Paul brings out the peach ice cream and celebrates. He says, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promises” (Galatians 3: 28 – 29).
There is no longer this dividing line between Jews and Gentiles. If you trust Jesus, you are gifted God’s gift of salvation, which is the gift of being an heir of all of God’s promises.
There is no shortage of things today that we think we can do to make God accept us: be good people, go through religious motions, and do good deeds. We discuss the place for religion, being good, and doing good. Before Paul gets there, he wants the ground to be laid so that salvation comes through faith in Jesus and not through any other way.
In the scripture we read today, the Apostle Paul reinforces his argument from chapter three by saying that heirs under the law are nothing more than slaves with a promise that can never be reached. However, at the appropriate time, God sent Jesus, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.
Receiving the gift of God’s grace found in Jesus, we are adopted as children of God. Adopted! Adoption is an act of grace. Adoption happens as a gift of love. When adopted, the person takes on a new identity. An adopted person is part of a new family. The adopted child has all the rights and privileges of his or her new family.
The act of adoption is intimate and invites us into a personal relationship with God. As Paul says, “Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father” (Galatians 4: 6)!
Jesus’ father becomes our father, and we can approach God with the confidence of a child approaching a loving father.
As religious and law-abiding citizens nailed Jesus to the cross, he performed an amazing last act of adoption. He turned to the remorseful, thieving, law-breaking thief on his side and said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
In one of his final acts, Jesus adopts this thief and invites him into his family. Only a savior like Jesus would parade into Paradise arm-in-arm with a criminal. Only a savior like Jesus would look out at each of us and offer us a seat at his family table. Only a savior like Jesus would adopt a sinner like me.
I read a woman’s story explaining that her favorite spot at the local zoo was the “House of Night.” Here, nocturnal creatures crawled and flew about. She said, “One very bright day, I entered the exhibit and was plunged into total darkness. Almost immediately, a small hand grabbed mine.”
“And who do you belong to?” the woman asked. In the darkness, a little boy spoke, “I am yours until the lights come on.”
It is easy to think that we are the adults in this story. We are the little boy. We are the little hand that latches on to God, who says, “I am yours till the lights come on.”
And friends, this is what salvation looks like when we trust Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Jamey
Discussion Questions
How does the contrast between faith in Jesus and adherence to religious laws, as described in the sermon, challenge our own understanding and practice of faith?
How does the concept of salvation by grace through faith, as emphasized by Paul in Galatians, change our approach to living out our faith compared to a works-based righteousness?
What does it mean to be adopted as children of God, and how should this identity impact our daily lives and relationships with others?
Prayer
Gracious God, In moments of doubt and darkness, may we reach out to You and hold on with the assurance that we are Yours. Let Your Spirit fill our hearts, crying out “Abba, Father,” as we draw near to You with the confidence of beloved children. Amen.
Benediction
Let us break down barriers and extend the same grace and love to others that Christ has shown to us. Amen.
(I did not preach this weekend. So, I am sharing a sermon I preached in 2022)
A digital painting of a large whale underneath the waters below a boat.
Jonah and the Big Fish
Jonah 3
Let’s start this sermon at the end of the story. God asks Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and many animals” (Jonah 4: 11)?
Don’t forget about the animals.
This question is being presented to Jonah as he sits baking in the desert sun while throwing himself a pity party over the fact that God’s mercy is more than he can handle.
Jonah is unwilling to live without his old beliefs intact. He refuses to let God transform his anger into love, and he would rather die. From a place of self-loathing, Jonah says, “It is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:8).
Hang out with God long enough, and you will learn that God’s mercy, not God’s judgment, represents the biggest threat to our religious ordering of the world.
Friends, I have a whale of a story to tell you today. It might challenge how we try to lay claim to God and God’s gift of grace if you are brave enough to hear it.
The story begins with God telling Jonah, “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah is like, and no, thank you! He hops on a ship in the opposite direction. He is determined to put as much water between him and Nineveh as possible. He might have been a prophet, but he wouldn’t waste his gifts on the ruthless Ninevites.
I can’t blame Jonah. I wouldn’t want to go to Nineveh if I were an Israelite. It would have been like being an American immediately after September 11th, being asked to track down Osama Bin Laden to preach to him instead of killing him.
Nineveh is the capital of Assyria, the nation that laid waste the northern kingdom of Israel and held the southern kingdom of Judah as a vassal for almost one hundred years. Assyria was more than an enemy. And it was a brutal force that robbed Jonah’s people of their livelihood. Jonah is told to go into enemy territory and preach God’s judgment.
Later in the story, we learn Jonah’s real reason for being so reluctant. After the Ninevites repent, Jonah says in prayer, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing” (Jonah 4: 2).
Jonah understands God to be merciful. He isn’t ready for God to be merciful to those he doesn’t like. Jonah is not prepared to be part of God’s club if it includes the Ninevites. Jonah is not upset that God is merciful. He is upset that God’s mercy extends to all.
It is worth repeating: Hang out with God long enough, and you will learn that it is God’s mercy, not God’s judgment, that represents the biggest threat to our religious ordering of the world.
What will you do when you learn that God’s mercy outweighs your judgment? What will you do when confronted with the fact that God’s character to be compassionate extends to those you don’t believe deserve God’s compassion?
Jonah got on a boat. He tried to put a sea of water between his convictions and God’s call to step outside his old beliefs and love people he determined should not be loved. Running away seems safer than letting God’s compassion shatter his long-held convictions.
But you just cannot outrun God. So, Jonah ends up in the belly of a fish. Or, as Ms. May Bruner corrects us in the video, “It is a whale!”
After three days and nights of severe indigestion, the big fish pukes Jonah on dry land. He walks to the city’s edge, covered in seaweed and smelling like fish vomit, to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh from God. He gives the wimpiest sermon, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4).
And that was all it took. The sermon had such an impact that even the livestock was covered in sackcloth. The king of Nineveh gave a decree, “Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands” (Jonah 3: 8). The cows repent; they turn their mooing to the Almighty!
God heard the cry of repentance, changed His mind, and forgave the people.
And Jonah? Jonah gets mad, depressed, and wants to die.
The crux of the story is not the revival that breaks out on enemy territory. Instead, it is about Jonah’s reaction to the revival.
What is wrong with a merciful God? Everything is wrong with it when God’s mercy for me is also God’s mercy for them. When you learn that the God who gave you a second chance is the same God who gives them a second chance, it changes how you think about them.
And you are left with a choice. You can run away with your old beliefs intact, hoping you don’t become fish food, or be open to the possibility that God’s compassion is more profound and broader than you first imagined. You can loathe in self-pity or let God transform your anger into love.
In Flannery O’Connor’s lastshort story, Revelation, the scene opens in the waiting room of a doctor’s office where a smug Ruby Turpin is chatting with another woman. Ruby is self-righteous. She sizes up the people sitting around her, judging each of them and letting her conversation partner know why she is better than the rest of the white trash, blacks, freaks, and lunatics in the room.
The daughter of the person she is conversing with is Mary Grace. The young lady is overweight, her face is covered in acne, and she is unflattering.
Mary Grace can no longer take the self-righteous banter from the so-called Christian lady, Ruby Turpin. She throws the book across the waiting room, hits Mrs. Turpin over the left eye, and lunges towards her. The young girl screams, “Go back where you came from, you old wart-hog!
Stunned, Mrs. Turpin returns home and wrestles with the Lord, angry and confused. “What do you send me a message like that for?” she rails at God. “How am I saved and from hell, too?”
At the end of “Revelation,” after she’s wrestled with God and shaken her fist at God for allowing her to suffer injury and insult at the likes of the lunatic Mary Grace, Mrs. Turpin has a revelation—a vision. In this vision, she sees all the saints—including the poor, the white trash, and the blacks she has disdained all her life—marching into heaven. Behind them, she spots herself and her husband, not first but last, yet joining joyfully in the chorus of saints “shouting hallelujah.” As a result of her painful humiliation, Ruby Turpin exchanges self-righteousness for true righteousness.
The book of Jonah ends without any resolution. We don’t know what Jonah finally does. Does he finally come to terms with the expanse of God’s grace? Does he acknowledge that God’s mercy is greater than his judgment?
Can Jonah live in a world where God’s mercy extends to even those he would rather not live in the world with? We don’t know.
But then again, I could be Jonah, and you could be Jonah. We all have our own Nineveh. Will we stop running and let grace catch up with us?
I mean, this is God. Where do you think you are going to hide anyway?
I want you to consider who the Ninevites in your world are. Who are the people that you find difficult to love? Or feel unlovable? For whom are you acting like a Jonah? Maybe the Lord invites you to stop running and let grace catch up. Amen.
Discussion Questions
Why do you think Jonah resisted God’s call to go to Nineveh? Can you relate to Jonah’s reluctance to show compassion to those he deemed unworthy?
Who are the “Ninevites” in your life—those you find difficult to love or believe are unworthy of compassion? How might you begin to see them through the lens of God’s mercy?
Jonah tried to run from God’s call. Are there areas where you feel you are running away from what God asks you? What might it look like to stop running?
Reflecting on the story of Ruby Turpin from Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation,” how does the journey from self-righteousness to true righteousness resonate with your spiritual journey?
The sermon suggests that God’s mercy threatens our religious ordering of the world more than His judgment. How do you understand this statement, and do you find it challenging?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Transform our anger and judgment into love and understanding. Help us to see the world through Your eyes, recognizing that Your mercy knows no bounds and extends to all of Your creation.
May we always remember that our greatest strength is found in Your mercy. Let us walk in Your grace, offering forgiveness and love to everyone.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Benediction
May the boundless mercy of God surround you, the transforming love of Christ fill your hearts, and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit guide your steps. Amen.
We fill our lives with distractions. Information comes at us faster and louder than ever before. Everyone is begging for our attention.
How do we keep from letting the distractions keep us from what is important?
In the bible, we have a story of Jesus visiting Martha’s home where she lives with her sister, Mary. Martha is frustrated with her sister because her sister has chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus instead of helping her around the house.
We can all identify with Martha. She is trying to respond well to her position as a host and provide a welcoming environment for her guest.
And yet, Martha’s busyness is preventing her from being truly present with Jesus.
If we are not careful, our distractions can also drive a wedge between the people we love.
Where are you letting distractions keep you from what is important? Who or what needs your attention at this moment?
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 41 – 42
Jamey Prickett 