Phil 1:21-25 and Jonah 4:1-11
If your prayers were recorded for everyone to read, what would your prayers reveal about you and your loves? Jonah’s prayer in chapter 4 revealed his misanthropy, his dislike for his fellow humans. He knew God loves repentant sinners and would forgo their destruction. In the light of what he knew about the Lord he prayed, “Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” This is misanthropy’s prayer. In this sermon we want to see how misanthropy’s prayer is rooted in a false thought about God and people. Laboring under false thoughts, that reasons contrary to the evidence of the Lord’s love, leaves us loving humanity less.The Lord breaks up our misanthropic pursuits with his philanthropic love demonstrated in Christ who was given as the expression of God’s love for the world (John 3:16). Jesus prayed, “Take away my life for it is better for me to die, so that they might live.” It is this love that turned the misanthropic lifestyle of Saul the persecutor into Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul would love to die, but realizes that his life, even though imprisoned, would serve the progress and joy of others in the faith. (Phil. 1:24-25) The gospel of Christ has the power to transform misanthropy’s (hatred of humanity) prayer, into a life of philanthropic (lover of humanity) prayer.