Wednesday 9th October
2019. Read Jonah 4:1-11, Psalm 86 and Luke 11:1-4.
_“And should I not be concerned about
Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty
thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also
many animals?” *(Jonah 4:11)*_
It always feels like injustice
knowing that both the ninety-nine who had no need for repentance would have the
same lot like the one who went astray. This is what made Jonah angry.
By making a tree grow overnight over
Jonah and suddenly letting it wither by morning, God was teaching Jonah a
lesson – it is not every crime people commit that they deserve punishment for
it.
Jonah was not happy that the tree
which gave him shade at night would suddenly wither but that is precisely what
he wished for the people of Nineveh; that they should be destroyed despite
their efforts to repent.
Jonah failed to realize that there
are still some good potentials in these people; that like the tree, they could
still offer shade to people regardless of what they had done in the past.
One of the easiest ways to forgive is
to consider the fact that the person(s) I am angry with still has some good
potentials. I only need to overlook the bad side and pay some attention to the
good that person(s) is able to do. This is why Jesus said on the cross:
“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).
More still, in teaching us to pray in
today’s Gospel passage, Jesus mentions the fact that the way to obtain
forgiveness from God is to forgive those who offend us.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me how
to forgive. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary
Time. Bible Study: Jonah 4:1-11, Psalm 86 and Luke 11:1-4).
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