Pentecost 19

“When Success Is Failure”

Jonah 3:10 – 4:11

Rev. Dr. R. Tim Meadows

Fortunately or unfortunately, most of us can identify with the prophet Jonah, but not in ways that make us proud. Much of our ability to identify with the prophet comes from the dark side of his story. We’ve all known what it is like to be given a task we did not care for. We’ve all known what it is like to ignore the task and head in a completely different direction, only to have that decision backfire and cause us grief. We’ve all known what it is like to spend significant time in the most unpleasant of places and still be forced to face the task from which we were fleeing after we were sprung from the hell of our own making. We’ve all known people we just did not like, in whom we saw no virtue or value, only to find others among us who thought they were charming. We’ve all known a modicum of success in our lives, some of which we felt really good about, some of which left us cold. We’ve all known what it is like to wallow in our misery, to host our own pity party, only to have the festivities interrupted with the reminder that we are not the center of the universe.

Success can be failure! One scholar once said of Jonah, he was the only successful prophet in Hebrew history, and he was not happy about his success. I agree! Why do you think that is true? What is it about Jonah’s success that so unnerves him? Well, I am always reluctant to speak for others, but since I’ve posed the question let us explore some possibilities:

Do you suppose that success was failure for Jonah because it forced him to confront some old cherished ideas that he did not want to give up? He knew these people, their history, their worthlessness, and he was not comfortable with any ideas that suggested otherwise about them. Has this ever happened to you? Has success ever forced you to confront some cherished ideas you were not ready to give up on?

Do you suppose that success was failure for Jonah because it forced him to change his view of God? He knew Yahweh was the God of Israel, who cared for Israel, provided for Israel, destroyed Israel’s enemies, and he was not comfortable with any ideas that suggested otherwise. Has this ever happened to you? Has success ever forced you to confront a view of God that was too small, too limited, or too exclusive?

Do you suppose that success was failure for Jonah because it forced him to face his prejudices? If God saw value in “these people” what did that mean for Jonah’s assessment of them? If God was willing to deal with “these people” what did that mean for Jonah’s future among them? Has this ever happened to you? Has success ever forced you to confront a view of other people that was based in history, myth, fear, anger, or resentment?

Do you suppose that success was failure for Jonah because it forced him to change his message? After all, public speakers of all kinds like to stay on message. Jonah had the repentance thing down, he knew just where to pause to breathe for dramatic effect, just where to raise his voice to cover a weak point, just where to lower the boom on a recalcitrant sinner, and now he was going to have to say something else. Has this ever happened to you? Has success ever forced you to change your message in an unanticipated way, just when you were ready to lower the boom?

Do you suppose that success was failure for Jonah because it forced him to confront his place in the universe? This self made prophet spends the whole story trying to demonstrate that he will set the itinerary, that he will judge the people, that he will set his own course once this tasteless project is over, only to learn the truth of the ancient rabbi’s observation. We make plans and God laughs! Has this ever happened to you? Has success ever forced you to confront the fact that you are not the center around which the universe revolves?

Jonah, the only successful prophet, plagued and angered by his success, holds out for us these challenges at the very least. So what about you? Are you:

- Willing to examine your cherished ideas and even change them, if it advances the goodness and grace of God?

- Willing to change your view of God, if it advances the goodness and grace of God?

- Willing to confront your prejudices of others, if it advances the goodness and grace of God?

- Willing to deepen your message, if it advances the goodness and grace of God?

- Willing to confront your place in the universe, if it advances the goodness and grace of God?

- Willing to rejoice with God when the plan of God succeeds, or will you pout with Jonah because God did not do it your way?

May God give us the grace to do what is necessary to advance God’s goodness, even when it means we must change our plans to succeed. AMEN!