Our Responsibility To Make A Difference

Jonah tried in vain to run away “from the presence of the Lord” (v. 3). Because he did not want to deliver a message of judgment to the people of Nineveh (v. 2). Instead of obeying, he disobeyed and went in the opposite direction towards “Tarshish” (v. 3). Even the ship’s mariners were exceedingly afraid, because they “knew that he fled” (v. 10), from God’s presence; and that the Lord was the One Who sent the “mighty tempest in the sea” (v. 4). They asked “what shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?” The answer they received from Jonah was the only one that makes sense. He said to them, “take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you” (v. 12). So they threw overboard the disobedient saint!

This is often the same reaction that the world has towards the saints of God and His church (Eph 5:23). They would simply ignore us, mock us (2 Pet 3:3), persecute us (Mt 5:10), and even cast us off. Both the modernists and humanists are asking, “where does Christianity fit in our philosophy?” This is not the same reaction that our Lord Jesus received during His earthly ministry. The people may not like Him, but they did not ignore Him.

In fact, “they were all amazed, and glorified God” (Mk 2:12)! Because everywhere Jesus went, He was able to touch and change people’s lives. His holy and sinless life became a light to all sinners (Jn 9:5), food to the hungry (Jn 6:35), grace to the guilty (Eph 2:8), and everlasting life to those “who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1)! Jesus made a difference! That was Jonah’s main responsibility to the people of Nineveh and to the mariners. As bible-believing Christians, we have that same responsibility today; to show compassion that would make “a difference” (Jude 1:22), in someone’s life! God bless you!

- Pastor Melito Barrera