Jonah and Me

Rev. Suzanne P. M. Rudiselle
January 22, 2006

When I was growing up and might have been described as an overactive child, it was easy for me to get lost in my chosen activity with no concern about time or other events. My mother would call, “Suzanne, come in. it’s time for dinner”. I would respond “OK” and go right on doing what I was doing. The second time, the call would be a little more pointed, “come in right now!” and the third time she would say, Suzanne Pogue, come in immediately, if not sooner.” And I knew that I better move ASAP - or else.

I don’t know if your mother went to the same “mother school” as mine but I‘d bet that there was some definitive word from a parent or teacher that made it clear that you’d better move PDQ.

That came to mind as I read these texts. Jonah is asked by God to do something he finds most distasteful and he responds immediately! Only his response is to exit left - take a powder - and head in the opposite direction from the one he is called to go.

After Jonah’s futile attempt to escape and his wild adventure in the belly of the whale, he assents and goes to the dreaded evil Nineveh to proclaim God’s call for repentance. And almost immediately the people listen - even the brutal, prideful king puts on sackcloth and sits in ashes. And immediately the nation is saved from God’s wrath. Immediately!

Then we have Mark’s breathless 15 verses describing the urgency of John the Baptist calling people to “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” and Jesus entering the scene, baptized, tested and preaching! We know by this time that this Jesus and his mission will stand on the prophetic authority of Israel, and the verbal authority of heaven and the reign of God is coming and already at hand - a reign that will require participation by many.

One author said preachers should take note that Jesus’ first sermon is only three phrases long, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Now that’s immediate! But you’ll not get away so easily.

Jesus, walking along the Sea of Galilee, sees two brothers, Simon and Andrew - and then two more, James and John and calls them, saying “follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they do! Jesus calls and immediately they follow.

Mark does not tell us of any prior relationship between Jesus and the fishermen. He does not speak of their motivation, although the gospel of John suggests that the men might have been disciples of John and knew who Jesus was. For Mark the important thing is that the call is issued and immediate response is to get up and go.

But the calls to others in the bible and in my life’s experience is not immediate, nor is God’s action immediate. Is the time the main issue? For Moses the call came in a burning bush and his response was to negotiate with God. For Jeremiah it was not an immediate “yes” but an excuse that he was too young. For Mary, it was a startling encounter with an angel and an immediate assent, but a gestation of nine months before bearing the call and the child into the world.

So what is the point of all of this? If it’s not the time that’s important, what is? The reign of God has indeed begun and is ongoing. In Jesus’ ministry we see his mighty deeds, his dignifying care for the least, his laughter with the outcasts and his anger with the religious authorities, his tears of joy and lament. We see the incarnation of God’s love and the power it has to transform those who see and hear this Jesus. He spoke, he touched, he healed and people responded. And he called others to continue this ministry. The reign of God is for active participation by four who will invite four more who will invite more and more.

In 2006, as in every age, the reign of God requires us to hear the call and to follow Jesus. In a recent interview former General Assembly moderator William H. Wilson laments the state of the church lost in divisive issues and calls us to answer this question. “For what reason does the church exist?” He answers saying, “Through the centuries the gospel has sustained the church when challenged by persecution, doubt and despair. It binds us together with a joy that exists to be shared. From the beginning of the church until now, the purpose of the church, the reason for the existence of the church, is to bring the love and light of the gospel to the world. It must then follow that our witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the ministry and mission of the church.”

Is that a prophetic call? How do we bring the light and love of the gospel to our world? What if you are called to speak to that great city, Washington DC. What if you, as Jonah, are charged with speaking truth to power and calling for the repentance of all who lead our government? We are, of course! We are called to be the embodiment of the gospel in this time and place.

We can do as Jonah did and take off - or we can sigh a deep sigh of resignation and go on about our business. Or we can dare to accept the call and in ways great and small speak out in what Rick Warren calls a ministry of “Muscular Christianity.” In his overwhelmingly popular book, The Purpose Driven Church he reiterates the call to, “give your life to God, help others, spread the word.” He suggests that the body of Christ has too often been just a mouth - railing against things and not often enough a body of action for the poor, challenging the powers that corrupt.

Am I willing? Are you ready - to say yes and move out in faith? Peter and Andrew, James and John had gifts and talents that had not yet been revealed. Jesus took those raw recruits and turned them into a dynamic force that changed the world. Did they have any idea what they were getting into? Probably not. Did they know the cost of discipleship when they signed on? No. Mark doesn’t paint a very flattering picture of these men and their colleagues but look what they did - by the grace of God.

Make no mistake; the call and the response is disruptive! We are stretched beyond where we think we are capable of going. This call intrudes on our plan and pleasures. Even those committed to following Jesus struggle to remain faithful. Henri Nouwen once took a sabbatical from his teaching at Yale to get away from the demands of teaching and lecturing and counseling. He went to a Trappist monastery for solitude and prayer. A group of young students at a nearby college came and asked him to give them a retreat. He deferred to the Abbot but

explained to the abbot that he didn’t come to add more work to his life. The abbot said, “you’ll do it”. When Nouwen complained about the time it would require to prepare, the abbot said, “you’ve been a Christian for 40 years and a priest for 20...if you pray for half an hour in the morning, sing in our choir for an hour, and do your spiritual reading you will have so much to say you could give ten retreats.”

The calls can be disruptive - even bothersome - but we are given what we need to do what we are asked to do. We are given the strength to endure and wisdom beyond our own, and others with whom to walk.

The important part of the story is this. God is still in charge. God is still acting in ways that will confound the self-righteous and amaze the repentant. Sometimes God acts immediately when a people, including an arrogant king, put on sackcloth and sit in ashes fully repentant. Sometimes the evidence of God’s grace is revealed slowly, almost imperceptibly. What is clear is that all things occur in Kairos - in God’s good and perfect time.

And Jesus is still issuing calls to come and follow where he leads. The need for witness to the gospel is greater than ever. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. There is a world hurting and waiting for good news. Who will go for us? Today? Immediately, if not sooner?