Jonah--The one-sided sword

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry."  Jonah 4:1

Jonah's displeasure brings to mind the older son of the prodigal.  He resented his father's forgiveness as well. Why do we resent God's mercy to others? We do not hesitate to grasp that we deserve mercy, but surely not that man or those people.  What did they do to deserve such a kindness?  When God extends mercy to the undeserving, the unfairness of it rubs us wrong.  It's nervy because He never made His mercy toward others our business--except to proclaim it, certainly not to question it. 

But, we are a nervy people.  I suspect this impulse is an extension of our bottomless capacity for selfishness, vanity, and pride. We view ourselves as different, better, the exception to the rule.

What if God desires to "save" everyone? What's it to me?

Again, another parable comes to mind---that of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20). The nerve of God to pay them all the same!  If I have to be honest, that's my reaction.  I'm definitely an early morning kind of worker and resent the people that slide in late and expect the same.  Why should I labor hard while others barely break a sweat?  I'd like a God who forgives me for being late yet holds others accountable for their lapses.  I want the one-sided sword of mercy.

However, if God is God, I don't get to choose His attributes.  In truth, He choose mine. The degree and timing of my openness to His Spirit is entirely His.  He doesn't permit us to lay claim to even a smidgen of the work of our salvation. If the work is all His---not ours---why wouldn't He have the right to extend it to others? 

I end up feeling like the petulant child who doesn't want her brother to get a free lollipop too. I long for the lollipop to be the result of my goodness--not His.

But, it's His city. His people. His storm. His fish. His field. His vine. His wages.