Jonah set his face towards Tarshish
by Pastor Tim Castle-Schmidt
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But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3).
I find it interesting how yesterday’s text rubs up against today’s. Yesterday, we reflected on Jesus turning his face towards Jerusalem – toward suffering and rejection. Then in today’s text, we see Jonah likewise turning away from what we might expect (fulfilling God’s call to call on Nineveh to repent) because it would bring suffering upon himself. Jonah wants to escape the Lord’s call on his life because of suffering!
Suddenly, I see I have more in common with Jonah than with Jesus. Yet the good news is that God does not run away from us even when we run away from God. Jonah gets a second chance just as we are constantly given a second – and third or fourth – chance. God remains faithful to God’s purposes in Jonah, just as in you or me.
I ran from God’s call on my life for many years. And yet God did not curse me or leave me alone, but gently – and eventually not so gently – disrupted my life until I could hear his call more clearly.
Even when (not if) we set our faces to our own Tarshish situations, God stays with us and even works through our faithlessness. Whether you are still running from God, or if you have let him find you, draw comfort from the God who followed Jonah after he set his face towards Tarshish.
Lord Jesus, thank you for turning your face towards me even when I might flee from you. Help me to hear you more clearly and have the courage to follow. Amen.
Tim Castle-Schmidt is the pastor of Onkaparinga Lutheran Parish in the Adelaide Hills. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he says he finally listened to God’s call to pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, daughter Miranda, a Jack Russell called Otto and 10 chooks.
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