Theme

The challenge of focus on the self

Questions

• Do you think people tend to be naturally selfish or self-focused? Why/why not?
• When God first calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah doesn’t just ignore God, he actively goes in the opposite direction (1:1-3).
  • Have you ever been tempted to try and run away from something God was calling you to do?
  • Is running away from God worse than ignoring him?
• Despite him trying to run away from what God wants him to do, and the place God wants him to do it, Jonah gets the same message from God at the beginning of chapter 3 as he does at the beginning of chapter 1 (3:1). Why do you think God doesn’t give up on Jonah and simply call someone else to go to Nineveh?
• Look at what Jonah says to the Ninevites (3:4). Do you think this is a ‘good’ sermon? Why/why not?
• Genesis 19:21-29 and Jeremiah 31:13 both use the same word for ‘overthrow’ that Jonah uses in his warning to the Ninevites. One meaning is destruction, the other is transformation. How is this double-meaning appropriate both in terms of Jonah’s attitude and the response of the Ninevites?
• Jonah’s sermon has been a success (look at Jonah 3:10) – why do you think he responded in anger (4:1)?
• In 4:2 Jonah refers to God’s words in Exodus 34:5-6 (and other places in the Old Testament). Look further on in Exodus 34 (v.7-10). This is God dealing with his people.
  • How does the story of Israel in Exodus and Nineveh in Jonah show God’s love and compassion?
  • Are you ever surprised by the grace of God?
• Twice God asks Jonah if he has any right to be angry (4:4 &9)? An angry response can be a good way of identifying when something is wrong, but when we get angry we need to ask ourselves the question that God asked Jonah.
  • Are there times when anger is the right response to a situation?
  • Can anger be a selfish response to a situation?
• When God challenges Jonah about his anger the first time (4:4), Jonah ignores God and heads out of the city. Are there times when we are unwilling to face up to what we are feeling and why? What makes us unwilling to address our feelings?
• Why do you think Jonah was so happy about the plant growing (4:6), is it just about the shade, or do you think there is something more to it?
• God points out to Jonah that he had no investment in the life of the plant (4:10). Why does Jonah care so much about what happens to the plant?
• The book of Jonah ends with a question from God, to which we don’t hear Jonah’s answer (4:11).
  • Why do you think God asks Jonah about caring for Nineveh?
  • Does God ever challenge you to be more caring about those who don’t know him?
• If you could ask Jonah one question, what would it be? (what do you think his answer would be?)