“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” 7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven,who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)” Jonah 1:1-10
ICE BREAKER
Think of someone in your life currently or from your past that you have anger or resentment towards. How is that anger blocking you from extending them mercy?
BIG IDEA
Who in your life is in need of mercy? How can you share God’s love with them this week?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Assyria was an empire of severe oppression and wickedness and had done great evil against the people of Israel. Jonah was furious with Assyria and lacked mercy for them. Jonah said he feared God but not enough to obey Him and fled the presence of the Lord. Has the Lord asked you to do something in your life that your anger and lack of fear of the Lord has caused you to disobey? Discuss this with the group. “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.” Jonah 1:1-2
- Jonah’s rebellion against God caught up with him and he found himself in the belly of a great fish. This hopeless situation caused him to cry out to God and God delivered him. We then see that Jonah’s heart hadn’t softened and he reluctantly prophesied to the people of Nineveh seemingly with the least amount of effort possible and still harbored great anger and bitterness against them. God desires willing obedience and not just obedience. Have you found yourself rebelling against God and His word to you? Did your rebellion put you in a difficult predicament? Once you were delivered did you repent and soften your heart or did you remain hardened and reluctantly obey Him? Are you still in disobedience or have you repented? Discuss with the group. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. 9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Jonah 2:7-10 “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 1:19-20 “Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:4
- God asked Jonah the same question twice about if he was doing well to be angry. When God asks us the same question twice we would be wise to consider the error in which we answered the first question. Jonah had more pity and mercy towards the plant that provided him shade than for the thousands of people in Nineveh. The courage to speak God’s truth to others must be powered by mercy, not fear, arrogance, or personal gain. Consider how we often show greater pity and mercy towards things, objects and people (pets, plants, possessions) that make us feel good than those who we have anger and resentment against. Jonah is a great example of why we don’t show mercy to others and are guilty of false mercy and self deception when we pity some and not others. How are you convicted by Jonah’s example? Where do you need to repent and show mercy? “And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 “But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:9-11
NOTES AND QUOTES
“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.” Mark 1:40-45
Consider how Jesus showed mercy to the leper in this story. Observe the pity, compassion and mercy he shows to this man. See how the leper risks breaking ceremonial law by approaching Jesus and humbles himself before Him. He seems to be motivated by the revelation of who Jesus is evidenced by calling Him Lord. Jesus doesn’t break the law but fulfills it by making the man clean, healing him, and commanding him to follow the law as a testimony to the priests.
Mercy sees the need of the other and has pity that drives you to movement and towards the other. True mercy is always other centered.
