CALMNESS PERSONIFIED
Jonah’s story is one of the most incredible stories in the Bible and perhaps in the history of mankind. Most people get stuck on the fact that a fish swallowing Jonah is fantasy and thereby fail to find the treasures of truth hidden in this account. We are surrounded by so many miracles and incredible things that faith is required to move forward. As knowledge increases and previously impossible things become possible, we also come recognize the value of faith. It would have required a lot of faith for a person living a100 years ago to believe that man could land on the moon and that automatic driverless cars would be real. Yet here we are, experiencing what was once considered impossible. Jonah’s fish can be explained in many ways, but more on that later. The introduction to Jonah shows a man who was calmness personified.
In the midst of the storm, while the others were terrified and on the verge of death, they found Jonah sleeping soundly below the deck.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 1:5,6)
Another image that comes to mind is that of Jesus calmly sleeping on the boat that his disciples were trying to save in the midst of a furious squall that came upon them. Jonah, much like Jesus had found the secret to remaining calm in midst of a tempest. It is an unwavering faith in the sufficiency of the Almighty that enables one not to respond with panic when storms come one’s way. While it is natural to wrestle against the storm, it requires a supernatural sense of calm to remain steady. Jonah as in the case of Jesus was calm enough within to go to sleep while the storm raged.
When the storm threatened to break up their ship and they cast lots to find who was responsible, Jonah was found guilty.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) (Jonah 1:8-10)
Just imagine the conversation Jonah would have had with the ship crew when he boarded. They would have had a good laugh when he calmly told them he was running away from the Lord, because it likely was natural then as it is now, to even shun the possibility of God. But here was a lunatic who not only believed in God rather took him seriously enough to run away from him. But no one was laughing any longer as the storm came upon them. And the fact that Jonah nonchalantly spoke of his God as the Lord of the seas terrified them. But the fact that even when Jonah was disobeying God, he calmly remained unwavering in his belief of God is amazing.
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. (Jonah 1:12-16)
I doubt any other man- Christian or not, would ever make a suggestion similar to what Jonah made. If there is a summit of calmness man can ever scale, this was it. It was so preposterous that the men ignored it, but to no avail. The question arises as to why he didn’t throw himself overboard. And it was because the crew had in their probable disregard and disdain for God, disobeyed him by taking on board a person who they were told had sinned against the Lord. Now they had to perform the difficult task of getting rid of the baggage that was Jonah. So it is- when we take on board sin and suffer for it, we have to get rid of it, even if it is a difficult task.
The crew ended up recognizing and worshipping the true God. And Jonah was calmness personified through it all.
