Jonah and the Relentless Love of God: Week 5

 -When God Loves Your Enemies (Resentful Jonah)

Discussion Questions

1. Today is the fifth week of our sermon series on the book of Jonah. At the end of chapter 3, God has decided to stop His judgement of the Ninevites after they repented of their ways and turned to God. This should be wonderful news, but to Jonah this is terrible. How familiar are you with what happens next? I encourage you to read, or reread, Jonah chapter 4 before continuing with these questions. 

2. Jonah was mad at God because God showed compassion to his enemies. We all as Christians need to come to realize that God not only loves us, but also loves our enemies. This can be a really hard pill to swallow. Can you think of someone (or a group of people) who you have a hard time seeing God love or forgive? 

3. The book of Jonah ends with a question from God, “Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left - and also many animals?” And then the book ends, we never get to read Jonah’s response, maybe that’s because it’s not Jonah’s response that’s important here, it’s our response. How do you respond to a 4. God that loves you but also loves your enemies? Can you live in that tension? 

4. Jesus brings this one step further. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus tells us that not only does God love your enemies, but you too are called to, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Take time to pray right now that God would open your eyes to see ways that you fall short of this, and that He would give you the ability to live into this high standard of forgiveness.