Miraculous: Jesus Saves the Best for Last

 

Miraculous: Jesus Saves the Best for Last

John 2:1-11

The Gospel of John starts off with bang… “In the Beginning…” And where have we heard those words before? The opening lines of the Bible! Many theologians say the Gospel of John mirrors Genesis chapter 1. John focuses first on seven signs, or miracles, and also seven “I AM” statements. Often in Scripture, the number seven signifies completion or perfection. These seven signs, and seven statements, are reminiscent of the seven days of creation. 

And right there in John chapter 2, the writer opens with, “On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana…” The third day. Why in the world did that detail make it into the story? Well, Jews did not name the days of the week with the names that we use. For instance, Thursday stands for Thor’s day, (think Avengers, Chris Hemsworth as THOR). Thor’s day is devoted to a pagan god, and Sunday is the day of the Sun god. Instead, Jews numbered their days to correspond to the days of creation. 

 

Day One was the first day of creation and corresponds with our Sunday, our first day of the week. And on the first day, God created light, and said, “it is good.” After creating the sky on the second day, He said, “it is good.” But on the THIRD day, two things happened! God created land and sea, and said, “it is good.” AND THEN, He created plants and trees, and said, “it is good.” That’s a double blessing on the third day! That’s a double blessing on Tuesdays! It’s like Tuesdays here at FUMC with TWO back-to-back staff meetings 😊 A double blessing!

 

Because of this double blessing, Tuesday tends to be a popular wedding day in the Jewish culture – it gives a blessing to the wife and a blessing to the husband! Now when we read the opening sentence in John 2, we know this wedding is the wedding of a very religious Jewish family.

 

I was pondering this when two visitors stopped my office. They were a sweet, young couple. They had recently been married, and sat cuddly close on the couch, bursting with happiness. He did most of the talking…much like my husband! And she nodded and added something when he took a breath. She began by telling me that her mother & Mary had been friends since they were teenagers. So, naturally they had invited Mary & Jesus to their wedding. They were thrilled Jesus could come, even a bit surprised when He showed up with twelve friends. But it was all fine – Jesus was like family to them. 

 

And they had a great time. The food was delicious, the joy was overflowing, and the wine was superb! People stayed, drinking & eating & drinking a little more. Soon the wine was gone, and the waiters began to worry. 

 

“We thought we had ordered enough,” the young man said. “Can you imagine running out of wine at a wedding? The guests would’ve thought us impoverished, or thoughtless. My family name would have been dishonored. The village would have gossiped for years! We would have been social outcasts! My new bride’s family would’ve been questioning my ability to be a good husband!” 

 

The young girl slid to the edge of her seat and said to me, “I didn’t even know about the problem till after it was solved. No one told me. But someone told Mary, and she told Jesus, and He took care of it. Not only did He produce more wine, He improved it! It tasted like $500 Bordeaux!” 

 

“But listen to this!” the husband continued, “we heard He used our six stone water jars. You know, our water jars for ritual purification?! Those are big jars. They hold 20-30 gallons of water. That’s about 1000-1500 pounds. That’s a lot of water!

 

“Can you imagine?! Jesus was a religious Jew, but He gave priority to our needs! He thought it more important to spare us humiliation, than it was to keep the tradition of purification by water. And Jesus didn’t make a big deal over it. He didn’t say one word, or perform a ceremony. He simply exercised His will, and the miracle was done. After all, six jars, plus one miracle, is perfectly indicative of completion.

“Oh! And then… my best man, the emcee of our wedding… He had tasted so much wine! You know, the guests tend to drink more at the beginning of the feast, and as the evenings linger on, their senses dull…which meant we always served the cheap wine at night, when no one would notice! 

 

“But when my banquet master tasted this wine, he verified the miracle! He had no idea the wine was drawn from the water jars! He only knew that its quality was better than the wine we had served all week long! He thought we had saved the BEST FOR LAST! And in the end, we had something like 900 bottles of seriously good wine! A miraculous, and a very generous wedding gift, I might add!”

 

The young woman finally spoke up again, and said, “But here’s what impressed me. This was His first miracle, right? His debut, and He used it on us! He saved us from looking like poor hosts! Jesus didn’t have to do that. There was a town of sick & poor people. Raising the dead would have made better headlines. But He used His first miracle on a social miscue!”

 

“Maybe,” she said, “maybe the miracle wasn’t the water to wine. Maybe it was really a miracle of compassion.” 

 

And, friends, as a result of this miracle of compassion, right there in verse 11 it says, “His disciples believed in Him.” Of course, they believed before, enough to drop their nets and follow Him. But now their belief was deepened and re-expressed. Isn’t this typical of our Christian lives? God does great things in our lives, and we believe in Him all the more. 

 

So, friends, what can we learn from this miracle? Well, I think each character in the story teaches us a lesson:

 

First - Mary shows us to expect Jesus to do big things.

 

Mary naturally went to Jesus when there was a problem. The text tells us, “When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

 

Several commentaries suggest this wedding must have been among some of Mary’s close friends or family members. Her concern over the lack of wine may indicate she had a hand in the catering or planning.

 

And in their culture, a wedding celebration could last up to 7 days! It was a very big deal! To have the wine run out would have been a gross oversight of those who were in charge of the provisions - namely the groom’s family. This would have resulted in shame or disgrace on the part of the new couple and their extended family - not the best way to begin a marriage!

 

It's unclear exactly what Mary expected Jesus to do, or even what she believes He can do. But, she knew He would have the answer.

 

And then Jesus answers her interestingly, by saying, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

 

As we read this in English, it sounds like Jesus is being disrespectful and harsh - calling His mother “woman.” But this is the same Greek word that Jesus used when He addressed… 

·      the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, 

·      the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. 

·      It’s what He called his own mother again from the cross in John chapter 19, 

·      and his name for Mary Magdalene after the resurrection in John chapter 20. 

 

It might be better understood if the word was translated “Ma’am”. While the Greek word is not an endearing term, it’s also not as distant as “woman,” and certainly not derogatory. 

 

Even with His response, Jesus must have indicated that He would do something, because Mary responds...in verse 5, “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’”

 

Which leads to the second set of characters: the servants. The servants show us to obey Jesus without question.

Jesus gave the servants two commands: First, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so, they filled them to the brim.” And second, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

 

That’s it. That’s the extent of it. Jesus issued two commands, and the servants obeyed. No questions asked. They didn’t criticize the command. They didn’t whine when they had to haul 6 of these 190-pound stone jars. They didn’t complain when it took several hours to trek to the edge of town to the well, fill the jars, and somehow get these extremely heavy jars back to the wedding before the evening was over. This was a tough and exhausting job. The monotony of filling the jars was surely no fun either - lowering the bucket into the well, filling the bucket, pulling it up, dumping the water in the jars… again and again and again until the jars were completely full. Their arms were tired. They were likely ready to go home and sleep. But they kept going. They didn’t balk when the command seemed trivial. They didn’t say, “You aren’t my boss.” They didn’t say, “You don’t need me to complete this miracle.” They simply kept going. And they didn’t stop until the jars were filled to the brim. Now Jesus didn’t tell them to fill them to the brim. They just did it. Out of obedience. They simply obeyed. 

 

When God gives us a task, sometimes, most of the times, it’s not easy. When He does, it’s mainly to get our attention and draw us closer to Him. But, what do we often do? How do we react? We moan and complain. We wring our hands with worry. And we pray and pray that it would go away quickly. 

 

That’s not what the servants did. They followed instructions, carried them out in obedience, and gave Him their very best effort despite their exhaustion. And, they didn’t even know who Jesus was! 

 

How often do we give up, instead of following through? How often do we give a lackluster effort instead of doing the best we possibly can? How many of us have forgotten Paul’s instructions to the Colossians, “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.” 

 

The servants are a great example of giving God our best and not giving up until we do. Perhaps we should fill our hearts and spiritual jars up to the brim with His love. Then, when any spills out, His grace and goodness will splash on those around us. 

 

A third set of characters – the groom and the MC, a double lesson, if you will: the groom shows us that Jesus loves to save the day, and the master of the feast shows us that Jesus saves the best for last.

 

Somewhere between the time the servants filled the jars with water and the master of the feast tasted the wine, the miracle happened. Jesus bypassed months of harvesting, crushing, fermenting, and mixing – and in a moment, He turned the water into wine. In this moment of turmoil, Jesus took what would could have been a shameful blot on the groom and seemed to bring him an added measure of honor by saving the best for last.

 

But even more than that… Those six stone water jars were used for ceremonial washings. They represented the old covenant, and how the Jewish people would wash and purify themselves in preparation for Temple visits, or sacrifices, or even a wedding feast. 

 

Jesus comes in, saves the day, and changes that water into wine, because HE is the new and everlasting covenant. He came to suffer and die on the cross, to obtain for us the forgiveness of sins and new life in the Holy Spirit. His sacrifice cleanses not our hands and bodies, but our souls. Jesus IS that new covenant. He not only saves the day, but saves our lives. 

 

Just as the wine is so much more substantial than water, Christ is more substantial than the old covenant. He IS the new wine, flowing in abundance from the merciful, compassionate heart of God. He really does save the best for last!

 

And the final lesson from our cast of characters: the disciples show us that Jesus was for real. 

 

John, by using the word “sign”, does something interesting. He’s indicating that the miraculous activity of Jesus is more than a demonstration of His divine power. 

 

You see, John could have used many different words to describe Jesus’ activity. Sometimes the gospel writers would use the Greek word dynameis or “mighty works” - but John never does. Other times, the writers use the word terata, which often gets combined with the Greek word for “signs” to indicate “signs and wonders.” But John is up to something different.

 

Jesus’ miracles are never simply naked displays of power, nor tricks to impress the masses. Signs are significant displays of power that point beyond themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived with the eyes of faith.

 

And this first sign has that effect on Jesus’ disciples. These signs would give His followers a glimpse into His glory and divinity, His love and compassion. And this miracle did just that – They believed IN Him. They entrusted themselves TO Him. 

 

My favorite theologian, Henri Nouwen, says this, “…In Jesus, God’s compassion became visible to us. Jesus not only said in Luke 6, ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate,’ but He also was the concrete embodiment of this divine compassion in our world.” 

 

Friends, that’s our Savior, our Messiah, our Jesus. He can raise the dead, He can forgive our sins, and all the while, He acts with compassion. The glory of Jesus is found in His compassion, and this miracle was full of compassion. The wine was not an absolute necessity; no one would die if they had to settle for drinking water. At risk was the embarrassment, the reputation, and perhaps the bank account of the bridal couple. Yet, Jesus counted that enough to do this first public miracle and sign. 

 

So today, friends, as we remember those saints in our lives who have gone on to glory, let us follow their lead, and the lead of our Lord and Savior, as we act with hearts of obedience and lives of compassion. 

 

 

Let us pray: 

 

Good and gracious God,

Thank You for the message of Your servant John: 

for the wisdom and the insight it brings; 

for the ministry of Your son Jesus, 

who fills our lives to the brim 

with His love and compassion.

 

We thank You for this community of faith, 

for the opportunity to come together and celebrate 

by breaking bread in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

May we continue this day 

in a deeper and closer relationship with Him.

We ask these things 

in the name of Your Son, 

our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Amen.

The Broken Banquet

Wil Bailey and I have been working for months on this project! The first episode of The Broken Banquet Podcast is out today, available on all podcast platforms. This first episode is an intro, and every Monday, we’ll drop a new episode, including interviews with people we love - like Nate Hutchison, John F. Woodward, Hamish Taylor, Patrick Murunga, Stefania Tarasut Alexandrescu, Jessica Weaver, Rob Branham, Lynne Swan Branham, and so many more! Subscribe on Apple, or Spotify!

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Jonah: Psalm of Deliverance

Jonah: The Psalm of Deliverance
Chapter 2
(Psalm 18:1-6)

Yes, I am a fish. But fish have stories, too.
Anyway, it was a regular day, and I was doing what fish do.
It was not a fancy day so I expected nothing new.
And in a moment — in a flash — I heard His very voice. 
Him! Yes, He, the Maker, who lets me wander His very own sea. 
“Up!” He said, “I have appointed you with a special task today.” 
And then He asked me to serve Him in this way:
One of those special creatures — a real live child of God —
I was asked to carry across the sea.
Oh to be like them: made to know God like a friend
And be made like Him, specially.
So, I went.
And I picked him up in the strangest fashion.
He was nearly drowning and had not a single possession. 
“Swallow him? Really?” I asked the Maker.
“Alright, if that is what you say. I won’t see it as silly.” 
Then after I swallowed him,
Obeying, even when it felt funny,
The strangest thing I heard from my tummy.
The man was crying and even starting to sing!
With great pain he did this and I wondered to myself,
How had he gotten so beside himself?
Three days the Maker told me to keep him on board,
Until I should spit him onto Nineveh’s shore. 

 

Now that I look back,
I don’t know why God chose me for that task.
I don’t know what the Maker was doing with this man, 
But, I rejoice that I got to be part of His plan.
I don’t know what in the world this was for,
But I am thankful I got to serve my Lord.
So . . . if you’re a son or daughter of the Maker — 
One of those special image bearers — 
But you’re thinking of getting on an escape boat, 
Please don’t get on board.
Instead, think of my story
And happily serve the Lord. 

Eden Parker, 2015

Good morning, Faithlink community! I’m Ashley Goad, one of your associate pastors. Last week, Pastor Erik introduced you to a prophet named Jonah. And if you haven’t heard Erik’s sermon from last week, go back and listen to Erik unpack Jonah chapter 1. He’s one of the most gifted expository pastors I know, breaking apart verse-by-verse to give context and meaning. 

 

We learned Jonah was a wayward prophet, who received a direct call from God to go to Ninevah. And he didn’t just say no; he ran in the opposite direction, and set sail for Tarshish, 2500 miles from Ninevah. But God sent a huge storm at sea. The ship was about to break into pieces. The sailors were terrified, and they called out in desperation to their gods, yet they found Jonah sleeping at the bottom of the ship. The sailors woke him up, and cast lots to see who brought this trouble to their journey. It was Jonah, and they threw him overboard. Immediately the sea quieted down.

 

That’s where we left Jonah last Sunday with Erik. And so we pick up with the next verse, the last verse in chapter one, which says:

 

And then…the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. 

 

Afloat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, God appointed a fish to swallow Jonah. I found myself dwelling upon this word appointed. It’s a curious word. In Hebrew, it’s ma-na-h. 

 

The KJV translates it: Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. 

The Message says: Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah.

The NIV uses this: Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah. 

And the NLT, my favorite, says: Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. 

 

Although God had appointed his prophet to travel to Nineveh and preach the good news of Yahweh’s forgiveness, He resorted to appointing a fish to retrieve the prophet in his rebellion. This verb, ma-na-h is used several times in this little book. And in each case, God orchestrated a circumstance to teach Jonah something he desperately needed to know.

Although I’ve always seen the fish as Jonah’s antagonist, let’s remember how we got to this point in the narrative. Remember that Jonah is trying to flee Yahweh’s territorial boundaries by getting on a ship headed for Tarshish. Remember that unlike the other ancient gods, Yahweh doesn’t have territorial boundaries. So, Yahweh, the God of earth and sea, hurls a great wind at Jonah’s ship to stop him, resulting in the sailors hurling Jonah into the sea to save the ship. In light of the fact that our prophet is currently dog-paddling in the middle of the Mediterranean, I think it’s fair to say that Jonah is feeling pretty good about this huge fish. Yahweh is indeed the God of land and sea, and as this psalm makes very clear, Yahweh can find, and mind, his servant whatever the crisis is at hand. 

 

Speaking of the Mediterranean Sea… Last weekend, I was in Turkey with our Russian partners in ministry, who wanted to get away from the chaos and turmoil of everyday life in their country. And Turkey was one of the only countries in the world willing to accept their visit. So, I traveled first to Romania to check on Caroline Cunningham and Dragos and Stefania Alexandrescu. And then I hopped on another plane to Kas, Turkey. 

 

We rented a house on the coast, as you do… because we needed a place for quiet, a place for prayer, a place for healing, and a place for restoration. And on that first morning, I sat outside with my cup of coffee in hand and opened my Bible to Jonah Chapter 2. And from my balcony, I gazed for nearly an hour into the vast blue of the Mediterranean Sea. I read, and read, and re-read this psalm of desperation, or better yet, this psalm of deliverance. I even took a dip in the Sea…several times. We’ll call that sermon research!

 

It was here that I realized that getting swallowed by this fish was not some sort of punishment directed at Jonah for disobedience. God was not putting Jonah in the worst time out ever! The great fish is not the villain! Rather, the great fish is Jonah’sdeliverance. God sent the most unexpected lifeguard of all time to rescue His wayward prophet! That’s clear from the fact that Jonah responds to being swallowed with a hymn of praise! 

 

Which leads us to Jonah Chapter 2 of Jonah: 

 

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,

 

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
    and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
    and Lord, you heard me!
You threw me into the ocean depths,
    and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
    I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
    Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

“I sank beneath the waves,
    and the waters closed over me.
    Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
    I was imprisoned in the earth,
    whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
    snatched me from the jaws of death!
As my life was slipping away,
    I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
    in your holy Temple.
Those who worship false gods
    turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
    and I will fulfill all my vows.
    For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

 

Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

 

Up to this point, the narrator had not provided us with any clues as to Jonah’s emotional state. But in this prayer in chapter 2, we are given insight into what is going on in his heart. This great man of God, who has intentionally and willfully defied the command of God, who has been given a second chance, offers a prayer of thanksgiving . . . from the belly of a fish. 

Now, it would be quite a stretch to anticipate that Jonah had a quill and papyrus, or a pen and paper on hand in the midst of his near-drowning and rescue. The chances the prophet remained conscious and composed enough to write a psalm is even more challenging. But like any faithful Israelite, we can anticipate Jonah had memorized many psalms, many creeds, many hymns, and probably called several to mind between the hurling, and the drowning, and the swallowing. Jonah Chapter 2 is the result of those cries for help and expressions of gratitude. Particularly interesting in Jonah’s prayer are the parallels with Psalm 18, that Tricia read earlier. This might have been the memorized piece that Jonah recited as he stared his own mortality in the face.

 

But I tend to think Jonah was recalling several of his favorite Psalms. I want us to do something a little different here. On each slide, I have a verse from Jonah and a corresponding verse from Psalms. I am going to read the verse from Jonah, and then together, we’ll read aloud the verse from Psalms. See if you can spot the similarities: 

 

Ref	Jonah (ESV)	Ref	Psalms (ESV)
2:2a	I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me;	120:1	In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.
2:2b	out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.	30:3	O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
2:3a	For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me;	88: 6–7	you have put me in the depths of the pit,  in the regions dark and deep.  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and  you overwhelm me with all your waves.
2:3b	all your waves and your billows passed over me	42:7	Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
2:4a	Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight;’	31:22a	I had said in my alarm,  “I am cut off from your sight.”
2:4b	yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.	5:7	But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.  I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
2:5a	The waters closed in over me to take my life;	69: 1–2	Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
2:6b	yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.”	103:4	who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
2:7a	When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord,	142:3	When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me.
2:8a	Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.	31:6	I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
2:9a	But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed,  I will pay.	50:14	Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,  and perform your vows to the Most High
2:9c	Salvation belongs to the Lord!	3:8	Salvation belongs to the Lord;  your blessing be on your people!

 

So, what can we learn from this fishy experience? Let me offer my takeaways from my balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea:

 

First, if we are to take away any lesson from this psalm of desperation and deliverance, it is Jonah’s final words to end his psalm: 
“For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” 

At the climax of Jonah’s prayer, verse 9, he speaks of ḥeseḏ. It’s a key biblical word often translated as "steadfast love” or “grace.” It refers to the covenant love of God. It takes the whole prayer for Jonah to get there - to a declaration about God's grace - but when he does, that’s when he’s released back into the land of the living.

 

In fact, if we were to ascribe a theme to the Book of Jonah, I think it would be simply - salvation. And as we know, from Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 & 9, we are saved by grace, through faith, and this grace is a gift from God, and only God. 

 

Like Jonah, we have all run away from God. But Jonah’s story shows us that God can and will save us from times of deep trauma in our lives, just as He saved Jonah from the storm. 

To save Jonah, God provided a fish; to save us, He provided His Son. 
And in Jonah chapter 2, Jonah shows us the way to salvation: 

 

1)      First, Jonah says: You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. Here, Jonah acknowledged the danger he was in, but also that God had pursued him. God was longing to save him. This encourages us to admit to God that we have run away, and thank Him for coming after us. 

2)     Second, Jonah writes: In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 

Jonah recognized he could not save himself. Like Jonah, our only hope is to call on God. All of our wealth, our cleverness, our skills, our contacts - nothing worldly can save us from the dangers we face. Only God can. 

3)      Third, Jonah acted. Yes, God saves us where we are, but He doesn’t leave us there. Returning to God means huge changes in our lives. As Erik will explore next week in chapters 3 and 4, Jonah’s life was literally turned around when he came back to God. And the same will happen for us. 

 

So, my first takeaway is God alone can save us. The second takeaway is to write the Scriptures on our hearts, so that in any situation, whether we have a Bible at hand or not, we are able to recall the faithful words of God, and find solace, and comfort, and strength.

 

And science backs this up! According to studies in neuroscience, it’s possible to teach and reteach your brain to respond to stimulus in a particular fashion. As a result, a person can actually train their brain to respond to: 

·      the stimulus of stress …with calm, as opposed to anxiety

·      or, the stimulus of a particular substance or habit …with abstinence

·      or, the stimulus of crisis …with optimism

 

It seems to me this isn’t actually new information… For centuries the Scriptures have been commanding us to do the same — change the way we respond to crisis! 

 

For example, Philippians 4:4–6: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

 

A command to respond to stress with prayer is a command to rewire your brain. It’s a command to retrain our brains to respond to a particular stimulus with a different response. In his despair, Jonah cried out to God. He chose to pray in the midst of some really serious stress. He found hope in the midst of desperation. Paul commands the same - change your response to stimulus! Are you anxious? Are you drowning in debt? Drowning in despair? Drowning in addiction? Drowning in crisis? Drowning in pain? Try praying your own psalm of deliverance… with all the honesty, all the rawness, all the authenticity you can muster. And let’s get neuroscience working in our favor! 

 

So, first, God saves. And second, we pray. And finally, what can we learn from this fishy tale? We wait and listen for God to answer. 

 

Do you know the game Would You Rather? Let’s give it a go:

·      Would you rather -

o  have someone you work with barge into your office to duke out a conflict, 

o  or have that same person simply exclude you from every email or report they send? 

·      Would you rather -

o  have your spouse blow up at you about something they think you did, 

o  or give you the cold shoulder and silent treatment for a month? 

·      Would you rather -

o  have your best friend text you that they don’t want to be friends with you anymore, 

o  or have them simply (and silently) stop interacting with you? 

 

One of the most amazing things about Israel’s God is that He actually speaks to His people. In the Old Testament, God actually speaks to His people through His prophets. How ironic it is that our prophet, Jonah, launches his psalm with his affirmation that God has spoken to him:

 

“I called out to Yahweh and He answered me!” He answered me!

 

In the polytheistic world of Israel’s neighbors, this was not normal. 

 

·      Do you remember the ship’s captain in Chapter 1? “Get up!” he said, “Call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us and we will not perish!” 

 

·      Do you remember how amazed the sailors were when Jonah’s God actually did something about the storm? 

  

The prophets of Israel were constantly reminding the people of Israel that their idols, their statues of false gods, had eyes that couldn’t actually see, and ears that couldn’t actually hear. But Yahweh does see, and does hear, and does respond. This is why the “vain idols” are continuously mocked throughout the Psalms. These psalms of thanksgiving are contrasting the blind, deaf, unmoving statues of their neighbors with the invisible and omnipotent true God. 

 

And in Isaiah 44:12–17, Isaiah took the message further and ridiculed those who carve their own god out of a block of wood, and then think that god can answer in a time of crisis! 

 

In our crisis, in Jonah chapter 2, we see an entirely different picture. The prophet knew he was facing certain death, so he prayed . . . And God, who can see and hear and act, saw his calamity, heard his cry, and answered him. 

 

So, back to the “would you rather”… Think about those incredibly frustrating emotions that come from a relationship where open communication has broken down. When the only choices left are yelling and passive-aggressive silent treatment, which did you choose? I know for me, if I truly care about the relationship, I’ll take yelling over silence any day. Silence means that my colleague, my friend, my spouse is more interested in protecting themselves than they are in their relationship with me. And in my life experience, silence is the death of relationship. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be yelled at any more than the next person, but I would rather deal with a living, irritated relationship, than a dying, retreating one. 

 

Which would you rather? A god who gives you the silent treatment, or one that might need to speak to you while hanging out in the belly of a fish? I think I’ll take the latter. 

 

Friends, this is one chapter in the Bible that I could spend days unpacking, and indeed I did so, sitting on that balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, where Jonah himself spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. My prayer for each of us is that we, too, will go to the Lord in prayer, call out to Him in our distress, listen for Him to answer, and know that because of Him, we, too, can live our lives in the glory of His amazing grace.