May 3rd - Reflection

Jonah 1:1-17 (NRSV)
Jonah saved from the sea

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. The captain came and said to him, "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish."

The sailors said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" "I am a Hebrew," he replied. "I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so.

Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you." Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. Then they cried out to the Lord, "Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man's life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you." So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Reflection
Events hundreds of years apart, yet seem to have so much in common. Recalling Jesus asleep on the boat as a storm brewed and frightened the disciples. Jesus commanded the storm to stop and it did. Likewise a storm is brewing, but Jonah wishes to be cast into the sea to calm the fury of God. Jonah knew he was running from God. Jesus knew that he was to fulfill the plan of the Father. Both were going through a storm. One was running away but willing to save the lives of those on board. The other was willing to take on the storm to save the lives of those on board.

Both end up in a tomb for a few days or so, and both come out alive. Jonah comes out to the service he was called to do. Jesus, having performed the suffering and death of the cross comes from the tomb to new life for all. It seems that we must be willing to walk into the face of the storm before the gift of new life.

It also seems to imply that the raging sea is a threat, but a threat, that with faith in God,  we can deal with. We can deal with the storms of life knowing that in any case, if we are running away from God or running after God, God will always be with us in the storms. God will calm the storm and go through the storm with us. This doesn't make the storm any less threatening. The storm is still a storm. But with Jesus with us in the storm we will be protected.

Protection comes in many forms though. We go through the storms of life to new life, or we may go through the storm to new service here and now. In either case we know that God is closer than we could ever think or imagine. God is with us in the storms and knows just how a storm behaves. So we trust God in the storms of life. We trust God and give God all of our hope and faith.

My Lord and my God! I believe! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I give you thanks that you are with me, in sin and out of sin. Rescue me from my sinful, selfish self and lead me to the life you would have me live. You created me and I have chosen you. You are my Father, my Friend and my Redeemer. You are my Lord and my God! I believe in you...today...tomorrow...and forever. --- Amen