Jonah and Peter

Jonah was a prophet in the Old Testament. Peter was a disciple of Jesus. Both of them failed God during their ministry. Both were given a second chance. Together, Jonah and Peter are an interesting study in how we can choose to react to God’s forgiveness.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. We read Jonah’s response in Jonah 1:3 “However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.” Jonah boarded a boat heading away from Nineveh. Of course, as much as we may want to, we can’t run away from God. God sent a storm to halt Jonah’s progress. Jonah confessed his sin of disobedience to the crew and instructed them to throw him overboard to stop the storm. The crew refused at first, but when the life-threatening storm would not subside, they threw Jonah overboard. Instead of letting Jonah drown, God sent a very large fish to swallow him.

Jonah had rejected God’s mission, but he knew God. He knew that God is merciful, so Jonah cried out to God while inside the fish. God heard his prayer, and the fish spat Jonah onto dry land. In Jonah 3:1-3 we read, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’s command.”

When the king heard Jonah prophesy that God would destroy the entire city in 40 days, he commanded everyone to turn away from evil and violent ways, to fast, and to pray, hoping that God would hear their prayers and relent. Their prayers were answered, and God did not destroy the city. The Ninevites repented of their violence, and were spared.

Jonah, meanwhile, went and sat on a nearby hilltop, hoping to be a witness to Nineveh’s destruction. When destruction didn’t come, Jonah cried out to God in Jonah 4:2, saying, “That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster.” Jonah had tried to run from God because he knew God would forgive those who show honest remorse.

Jonah was angry that God had spared Nineveh, even though only a few days earlier, Jonah had been dependent on that same mercy. He had rebelled, been thrown overboard in a storm, and was facing certain death. Then, when God gave him an opportunity, Jonah called out to God for help. Jonah knew God is merciful, and his prayer was answered. Now, as Nineveh repented, just like he had, Jonah became angry with God for extending His mercy to others.

We may all be tempted at times to think we deserve God’s help, and others don’t. It’s easy to invent reasons that we should be forgiven, while others shouldn’t be given any more second chances. We play favourites. God favours the repentant. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It doesn’t say you have to be a prophet. It doesn’t say that you have to be from a certain country. It doesn’t say only nonviolent sins are forgiven. It doesn’t say that Jonahs will be forgiven while Ninevites will be condemned. It says, “If we confess our sins.” Jonah knew that. Jonah didn’t like that. He wanted to accept forgiveness, but not to extend it.

The apostle Peter is a different story. He had asked Jesus about forgiveness before, and was already willing to extend forgiveness a number of times. In Matthew 18:21-22 we read, “Then Peter came to [Jesus] and said, ‘Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’” Jesus preached forgiveness, and Peter was willing to try. He’d be willing to forgive someone for seven offences. But Jesus pushed for more grace than that. Jesus told him to forgive not just seven times, but 70 times seven times.

Peter knew God’s willingness to forgive exceeded his own willingness to forgive. Peter would need that astonishing willingness to forgive when he denied Jesus right before the crucifixion.

Peter was a disciple of Jesus for three years. Over the years he’d seen Jesus in His glory, talking with Moses and Elijah, as recorded in Matthew chapter 17. He’d walked on water with Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 14. He’d seen Jesus raise the dead, as recorded in John chapter 11. Peter had seen Jesus perform miracle after miracle, and in Matthew 16 we can read that he recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the promised saviour from God. Peter had seen God’s power, and was expecting great things from Jesus.

The night before Jesus was betrayed and killed, He explained to His disciples what was going to happen. Jesus didn’t want them to lose hope, but to believe that He was following God’s will, and would return for them. Jesus also told his disciples that during the next few hours, they would all abandon Him. Peter told Jesus, “I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” (Luke 22:33). Peter, though convinced he would not abandon Jesus no matter what, denied even knowing Jesus. And he did so three times that night.

When Peter realized that what Jesus had predicted had come to pass, “he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:62) Peter was heartbroken over his behaviour. He still loved Jesus, but he’d given into fear and denied Jesus instead of trusting Him.

In this story, we can see the amazing forgiveness of God. Even before Peter sinned, Jesus told him forgiveness would be available. In Luke 22:31-32, we read that Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus had given Peter (formerly known as Simon) hope in the face of temptation and impending failure. Even before Peter denied Him, Jesus told him to repent, and then go help others do the same.

After Jesus rose from the dead, Peter preached a sermon in Jerusalem, which we can find in Acts chapter 2. The city was full of people who felt convicted about their decision to reject Jesus as God’s Messiah. When they asked what they should do now, Peter was able to lead them through repentance, because he’d denied Jesus, too. He was able to preach to them about God’s astonishing forgiveness, because he’d experienced it first hand. Peter did exactly what Jesus told him to do. After he turned back from his sins, he strengthened others.

When we’re forgiven, we have to choose what to do next. Jonah experienced God’s forgiveness, and then was angry when God extended His mercy to others. Jonah thought the sins of the Ninevites were unforgivable, even though God said otherwise. Peter, on the other hand, experienced God’s willingness to forgive even the most heartbreaking sins, and started sharing that mercy with others. When God forgives us, we need to be willing to share that hope with others.

While the Storm Still Rages

One of my favourite Bible stories is the story of Peter walking on water, found in Matthew 14:22-33. Jesus sent the disciples across the lake ahead of Him, planning to meet up with them later. While they sailed, a huge storm struck. We read in verse 24 that, “the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.”

As the disciples struggled to keep from being overwhelmed by the wind and waves, Jesus came walking toward them on the water. The disciples were afraid, thinking Jesus must be a ghost. But Jesus called to them, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid (verse 27).”

Peter, always the impulsive one, asked that if it really was Jesus, He would call Peter to come to Him out on the waves. Jesus called Peter to come.

Peter climbed out of the boat and miraculously started making progress toward Jesus. He was courageous, obedient, and quick to respond to the Lord’s call. Then he ran into trouble. “But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me! (verse 30)”

Jesus did save him. “Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? (verse 31)” When they both arrived safely in the boat, the wind calmed. The storm was over.

Sometimes in our lives we feel like Peter. There are difficult circumstances around us, but we see Jesus is at work, and we jump at the chance to follow Him. Then, we see how scary things look from outside of the boat. We see storms swirl around us—not storms of wind and waves, but storms of peer pressure, social media rage, job pressures, ministry struggles, mental health problems, physical health problems, family drama etc. We start out strong, trusting Jesus no matter where He leads. Then we take our eyes off of Jesus and look at the storm.

We had courage, but we lost it. We had faith, but we doubted. We were making progress, but we started sinking.

The good news is, when we sink, we can call out to God for a rescue. He doesn’t let us drown in a sea of fear and doubt. He holds onto us, keeps our heads above water, and doesn’t let go until the storm calms. He may ask why we doubted, but He stays with us and helps us through our ordeal. He is faithful, even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13).

We can help keep ourselves from sinking, too. We can keep our focus on Jesus. We can keep our eyes off of the storm, off of the frightening waves, off of the winds that tug at us. We can keep our eyes on Jesus, knowing that He is able to calm the storm, or walk straight through it. If we keep our attention on Jesus and stay focused so that our courage and faith don’t waver as we walk with Him, we can stay afloat as the storms of life threaten to drag us down. We can walk confidently through the storm, too.

And of course, if we do falter, we can have peace knowing our God is there to save us from the storms, and from our own doubt and fear. We can have His peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). In Christ, we can walk in peace even while the storm still rages.