What Breaks Your Heart?

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(Read Jonah 4)

I have been asked this question several time over the past few months:

What breaks your heart?

And if I'm honest, sometimes it feels a little intimidating to answer that question. There are so many things that bring me to tears (I'm a crier - it's not difficult). But the things that truly break my heart are becoming more and more clear to me as I lean in.

Jonah was all over the place as far as his emotions and feelings were concerned. He was rebellious and disobedient in Chapter One - but God was merciful. He was thankful in Chapter Two - and God was compassionate. Jonah was reluctantly obedient in Chapter Three - and God was relenting - but not to Jonah. And here we are in Chapter Four, where Jonah is "displeased" and "exceedingly" "angry" - and the Lord questions Jonah's motives and his heart.

For the first time in Chapter Four we see Jonah show concern for something other than himself. I have always read Jonah's interaction with the shade plant that whithered as Jonah's own selfishness about no longer having shade because it had died.

But today I read it as Jonah having concern over the plant perishing - like he was sad for the plant.

Why does this change my interpretation of these last few verses in Jonah?

Because all of a sudden, Jonah actually allows himself to become heartbroken over something. He finally shows sorrow, concern, and compassion, but it is toward a plant that existed for less than 24 hours. And yet, his heart remained hardened toward the 120,000 lives that lived in the "great" city of Nineveh. He cared more about revenge and condemnation and retribution for this evil and wicked city than about their radical repentance over God's compassion for them.

Jonah basically says to the Lord, "I KNEW you would relent! You are too gracious and merciful. You are too slow to become angry with those who deserve your wrath. You are too loving. And because of that, those Ninevites won't get the punishment they deserve. These sinners break your heart, but you kill an innocent plant!" (my paraphrase).

I'm quite certain, in this irrational moment, Jonah must have forgotten his own prayer of thanksgiving from inside the belly of the fish just a few days prior, thanking God for His mercy and sparing his life - even though Jonah had fled in disobedience and had done absolutely nothing to deserve God's mercy.

And now Jonah pleads with God for death to come and carry him away because God would not carry out His wrath on the city of Nineveh.

And this is where it gets personal for me. Over the past eighteen or so months, God has revealed something to me.

I live in Nineveh.

In the five miles around me there are about 300,000 people - and 276,000 of them do not know Jesus or have walked away from a better life with Him - and unlike Jonah, this breaks my heart.

Because the Lord loves them. He wants them to turn their hearts to Him, just as He wanted Nineveh to turn their hearts to Him. And He has placed the 8% of His followers where we are on purpose and with a purpose.

And now we all have a choice.

Will we choose to love our neighbor where they are?

Will we choose to love our enemy as they are?

Will we choose to be bold and dauntless?

Will we choose to leave the safety of the church and go out among the lost and lonely?

Will we choose to trust God and shine and reflect His light into the darkness all around us?

Will we choose to sacrifice some of our desires and preferences to create a space for the lost and broken to feel safe and welcome and expected and loved?

Jonah's dilemma was not an isolated event. Throughout history God has strategically called His followers to actually "go and make disciples." This has often times been met with "Jonah-like" responses - disobedience, fear, and rebellion. But, even as Jonah admitted from the belly of the fish - God is always with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. His love endures forever.

What breaks your heart?
Where is God calling you to trust and go?
How is God revealing to you what breaks His heart?
Who is God allowing you to come alongside with and love right where they are?
What will you do? Will you run away or will you respond and obey?
It is your choice.

BE BOLD!!! BE BRAVE!!! TRUST!!! OBEY!!!

Choose your Nineveh! Choose people over preferences. Choose God's cause over your comfort.