WED 20 SEPT
STOMPING OUT
READ Jonah 4:5 Matthew 8:1-34
FOCUS Jonah left the city. Jonah 4:5
A minister friend reports the church that he leads has opened a fantastic new resource to serve the community, and build an amazing bridge to the unchurched. Locals in the area have welcomed the new project with open arms. There has been some hostile opposition, however – from some of the folk in the church. They have not been this way before – and they don’t like it. When God moves, as we have already seen, not everyone will be delighted. Matthew’s gospel gives us a remarkable example of this. There was a phase in Jesus’ ministry when He performed miracles all over Galilee. Crowds were mushrooming, amazing physical healings were breaking out – and one whole town asked Jesus to leave the area. Perhaps their hostility was born of ignorance: opposition to God being at work is even more surprising when it comes from those who profess to love Him. In perhaps a flashback to the period between Jonah’s preaching and the response of the Ninevites, we see him stomping out of the place where God is at work. But stubborn Jonah still wants to wait for the hoped-for judgement to fall. Anger drove him away from God’s chosen location for blessing. Sometimes, we react when new things happen in our churches. Our frustration might be sparked because change makes us nervous; sometimes leaders haven’t taken time to explain or answer perfectly reasonable questions. But let’s be careful not to allow our discomfort to drive us away from what God is doing. Prayer: Lord, stir and disturb me if that’s what I need. Amen.
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