Today a conversation with Dr. Neil Martin from Oxford:  Learning from the mistakes of Jonah.  Jonah went kicking and screaming to preach repentance to wicked Nineveh and we can learn at least 3 things from his failure.  First we need to be bold and share the good news.  Second, if we’re going to have anything to give others, we need to first be filled up by spending time with God, and finally if we are obedient in the small things, we’ll be ready to do the bigger things God asks us to do. 

And then the mistakes and disobedience of Jonah show us how beautiful Jesus is!  First while Jonah was repulsed by wicked Nineveh and ran away from them, Jesus moves toward us and embraces the worst in us.  Second, while Jonah’s call was hard, to go to such a wicked city, Jesus call was massively harder.  To leave heaven, come into our mess and willingly bleed out for us to be forgiven and made right with God. 

Third while Jonah slept as the sailors prayed for help to false gods, Jesus prays for us perfect prayers while we are physically and spiritually sleeping.  And finally while Jonah went down into the belly of a fish because of his disobedience, Jesus went down from his throne in obedience to arm wrestle blessing for us out of every failure, loss, and hardship in our lives!