The Story of Jonah is there to cause us to confront ourselves...to see ourselves in the mirror.  We tend to be hypocritical in our mercy...we love to receive it, but to give it out is much harder.  Where Jonah failed, Jesus succeeds:-) 

Jonah 4:2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.