Fish Tales

Some people have called the book of Jonah, “One big fish tale,” because some people can’t get past Jonah and the whale. And that is unfortunate. Because it’s not a book about a whale. Jonah is a book about God and His love for everyone. It’s not a book about fish, or a book about Jonah; it’s a book about God’s gracious, lavish invitation for everyone—even people we don’t like—to enter into a relationship with God.

The story of Jonah—found in the book of Jonah in the Bible—is actually prophetic. It explains how God is more concerned about His mission than our comfort. God’s focus is on those far from God, even to the expense of our comfort. That fact doesn’t sit well with Jonah. And it doesn’t sit well with religious insiders, either.