Category Archives: Culture

Arts, Christianity, Culture

The Book of Jonah. Is it a whale of a tale?

THE BOOK OF JONAH

Jonah – a narrative

JONAH is the fifth of the minor prophets at the end of the Old Testament.

Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 as a prophet working during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel the northern kingdom, c. 793-753BC. He foretold the extension of Israel’s borders during this time of relative prosperity when the Assyrian threat was reduced. However, the book is anonymous and claims only to be about him and not by him.

The real question raised by Jonah is not did he get swallowed by a big fish (the Bible uses a different word than “whale”), but what sort of book is it meant to be? Is it history, theology, a parable, a moral tale for children, satire or a combination of these?

There are secondary points too. Firstly, the book is not about Israel (or Judah) but about Assyria (of which Nineveh was the capital at one time) and no reference is made to “God’s people”. Secondly, Nineveh was never as big as Jonah claims in 3:3 (unless he means a wider administrative district outside the city wall). And thirdly, there is no other evidence for this incident. Certainly, God’s initial prediction was not then fulfilled; Nineveh did not fall at this time although it did later. But the story shows that the prediction of doom had assumed impenitence, and Nineveh’s humbling brought a stay of execution.

In favour of the book’s historicity, we should note that Jesus quoted Jonah as a parallel to his own resurrection (Matthew 12:39,40; Luke 11:30,32). This could imply that Jesus accepted the historical reality of Jonah, but even if he did his allusion is still primarily to Jonah as a figurative “type”.

To focus too closely on the historical likelihood of events (which can never be either verified or discounted) can distract today’s reader from the timeless message of this small but important book. Christians will assume it has a historical basis and note that the references to the fish (which cause most problems) are slight and incidental.

The author says little of the method of rescue but a lot about the fact of rescue. It will help to focus on what the book intended to say to its original readers and what God can say through it to us now.

For today, the Book of Jonah is clear on several points. For example, we should be willing to do hard things God asks of us. And we should also remember that God cares for the world, and not just for the Church. No one should be surprised if God’s plans differ from our own.

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Arts, Christianity, Culture

Have faith, will travel

ENDURING FAITH

Hebrews 11 – a narrative

“I have no use for adventures,” declared Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. “Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”

Abraham and the other biblical heroes whose stories are recalled here in Hebrews 11 would not have agreed. Faith to them was an adventure. Indeed, Abraham didn’t even know where he was heading when he set out (v 8).

The faith which is applauded here is not “saving faith”, the initial trust in God for forgiveness and eternal life, but applied faith. If we are committed to God, then we are to go with him, wherever that takes us, knowing God has promised long-term blessings to those who continue to obey and endure.

The Bible suggests that “saving faith” without such “applied faith” is a contradiction in terms. You can have neither without the other. If we are saved, we shall be motivated to serve; if we want to serve, we must first be saved.

The people we meet in Hebrews 11 trusted God to provide for their needs, lead them, protect them, and overcome obstacles; they sacrificed in faith that God’s purposes were greater, and his promises, sure. They weren’t perfect: drunken Noah, cheating Jacob, immoral Rahab, mixed-up Samson and adulterer David. Yet each set us an example of faith going places with God.

We can begin to exercise faith in small ways in our daily life, just as they did. The big tests come later. We must ensure we “walk the walk”; as Bilbo discovered, it’s better than staying at home.

Faith involves risk. There is the risk that we might be proved wrong. We could mishear God, mistake his call, misapply his truth, misappropriate his promises. We could even mislead others.

Running through this chapter is a testimony to the biggest risk of all: that we will never see our faith justified. Twice the author says that they “did not receive the things promised” (vv 13, 39). They were not wrong, but they never lived to see the fulfilment of their faith-dreams.

Indeed, much of life, is building for a future which we will never see. Our calling is to be faithful to what God has revealed, to live as if he is fulfilling his purposes even when we can’t see them, and to remember that we are but a small part of his very big enterprise.

In an age of impatience, the real risk of faith is not to our well-being but to our pride; we want to be proved right. All that these saints were bothered about was proving God right for posterity. It took the stress out of waiting, because they knew God would sort things out in his own time.

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Arts, Christianity, Culture

Jesus sets high standards for Christian discipleship

SACRIFICIAL COMMITMENT

Luke 9 – a narrative

ENERGETIC companies sometimes advertise themselves as those who work harder than their competitors. They see it as having a competitive edge to gain an advantage.  

Jesus’ disciples are not to be competitive over achievements and status (vv 46-50). They do, however, face a stiff challenge to work harder and go further than anyone in a non-Christian frame of mind would normally consider possible or desirable.

This chapter stresses sacrificial commitment. The twelve are to travel light on their mission (vv 3,4; cf. 58). The poor cannot receive the gospel as good news from people who roll up in stretch limos. The disciples must take on the principle of incarnation which Jesus had embraced.

His call to everyone to “take up the cross daily” (23-26) is the offer of a one-way ticket. There’s no return to the old ways of life (vv 24,25). Paradoxically, we will lose our spiritual well-being (and by extension our general well-being) by clinging to the old life of self-interest. It is a clear message for all to understand.

That is hard. It is to resist the spiritual and emotional equivalent of the physical survival instinct which fights for life when faced with the prospect of extreme danger to life or of imminent or impending death. Committing oneself to Christ is not the same as choosing between equally valid options of joining a golf club or squash club. It’s more like choosing to work for a pittance in a Third World country rather than stay at home and become unhealthy and being unconcerned with anything of a healthy lifestyle.  

The recently bereaved man (vv 59,60) and the one who wanted to say goodbye (vv 61,62) may have been approaching discipleship equivocally. Jews were always respectful of the deceased and supportive of families. Jesus would not have been harsh and callous. He simply stressed that his mission takes priority over everything, however valid the argument might be.

Most of us want to have our cake and eat it, which isn’t possible in Christian discipleship. Later, Luke repeats the challenge, unique in the Gospels, to count the cost before following Jesus (14:25-35). The evangelist’s message here is of the high standards Jesus has set for Christian discipleship.

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