A Heart Exposed
The book of Jonah is often remembered for its big moments: the storm, the great fish, and the massive revival in Nineveh. But today, I want to take us to the final chapter—chapter 4—which is less about the big dramas of outward events and more about the condition of Jonah’s heart. Because in Jonah 4, we don’t see Jonah running from God; we see him wrestling with God’s character.
Jonah is angry—not because of what God did to him, but because of what God didn’t do. He’s angry because God showed mercy to people Jonah didn’t think deserved it. And that’s where it gets personal for us. Jonah’s reaction in this chapter forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: what we get angry about, what we react strongly to, often reveals what’s really going on in our hearts. It’s easy to read Jonah’s story and shake our heads at his stubbornness, but the truth is, we’re often not much different.
When life doesn’t go our way, when God extends grace to people we think don’t deserve it, we get upset too. Jonah’s story is a mirror for us, reflecting the ways we cling to our own sense of justice, our own comforts, and our own prejudices. But in Jonah 4, God invites Jonah—and us—to see the world as He does: with a heart full of mercy, compassion, and love for all people.
Jonah 4
OUR REACTIONS REVEAL OUR HEART. (1-4)
Have you ever used litmus paper in a science experiment? It’s a little strip of paper that, when dipped into a solution, changes color based on the pH level. It tells you whether the solution is acidic or basic, revealing what’s inside that you couldn’t see with your eyes alone. The litmus paper itself doesn’t change the solution; it simply reacts to what’s already there. It’s a test that reveals the true nature of the substance.
In the same way, our reactions—especially strong emotions like anger—act as a kind of litmus test for our hearts. They don’t create the issues; they reveal what’s already there. For example, if you dip a piece of litmus paper into vinegar, it turns red, indicating that the vinegar is acidic. The paper just reflects what’s true about the vinegar. Similarly, when we get angry, frustrated, or upset, those reactions show us what’s true about our hearts.
Jonah’s reaction to God sparing Nineveh was like litmus paper dipped in an acidic solution. His extreme anger showed the true condition of his heart: it was filled with bitterness, self-righteousness, and an inability to see God’s mercy for what it was. God’s mercy wasn’t the problem; Jonah’s reaction to it revealed the problem inside him. Jonah couldn’t handle that God’s mercy extended to people he didn’t like. The anger was just a symptom, like the color change on the litmus paper. It showed that Jonah’s heart was out of alignment with God’s.
So, when our emotions flare up, it’s like God dipping the litmus paper into our hearts. When we’re upset over things not going our way, or we get worked up because someone else received grace or a second chance, it’s a clue that something deeper is going on inside us. Just like the litmus test, our reactions don’t lie—they reveal the true nature of what we’re clinging to, what we’re worshipping, and what’s really ruling our hearts. How we respond to things, especially when we don’t get our way, reveals what we truly value. In Jonah’s case, it wasn’t God’s mercy that he valued—it was his own sense of justice.
In Jonah 4:1-2, the text says, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.’” Jonah is mad because God didn’t destroy the Ninevites. Now, think about that for a second. He just witnessed one of the greatest revivals in human history, where an entire city repents and turns to God. And what’s his reaction? Anger. Why? Because God didn’t do what Jonah thought was right.
Jonah’s anger exposes his misapplication of God’s mercy and justice. (1-2)
I say misapplication because Jonah understands that God is merciful and just. But Jonah had a very narrow understanding of how God’s mercy should work. To him, God’s mercy was fine as long as it was directed toward people like him—his people, Israel. But the moment God extended that mercy to his enemies, Jonah was outraged. He says in verse 2 that he knew God would be “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” But instead of praising God for these attributes, Jonah is using them to accuse God. Jonah thought that God should be merciful to Israel, but Nineveh? That was a different story.
Isn’t that just like us? We love God’s mercy when it’s directed at us. When we mess up, we’re grateful for His grace. But when someone wrongs us, or when we see someone get a second chance who we think doesn’t deserve it, we get angry. We say, “God, that’s not fair. They should have to pay for what they did!” But here’s the thing: If we’re angry about God showing mercy to someone else, it reveals something deeper about us. It shows that we think we deserve God’s grace, but others don’t. That’s not how God’s mercy and grace works. He doesn’t show grace based on merit—if He did, none of us would qualify. Mercy is always undeserved. Jonah didn’t grasp that, and often, neither do we.
Jonah’s anger reveals his insistence on his own way. (3-4)
In verses 3-4, Jonah takes it a step further. He says, “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah is so upset that he’d rather die than see Nineveh spared. Can you imagine? He’s saying, “If You’re not going to do things my way, I don’t even want to be part of this anymore.” Jonah isn’t just disappointed—he’s in full-blown rebellion against God’s plan. God responds in verse 4 with a question: “Do you do well to be angry?” In other words, “Is your anger justified, Jonah? Is this really the right response?”
Jonah’s anger shows that he wanted things done his way, not God’s way. And when God didn’t act according to Jonah’s expectations, Jonah decided that life wasn’t even worth living. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: what we get angry about often reveals what we truly worship. If we get angry when things don’t go our way, it shows that we’ve placed our desires and preferences on the throne of our heart, not God. Jonah didn’t want a God who was gracious and merciful to his enemies; he wanted a God who would execute justice according to his own terms. And because of that, Jonah’s heart was far from God’s heart.
How often do we do the same thing? Think about the things that make us upset in church. Sometimes it’s the silliest stuff—like the type of worship music, or the color of the carpet, or whether people dress too casually for service. We get so worked up about these things because we’ve made them into idols. Our extreme reactions expose what we really value. If we’re fighting for our preferences instead of fighting for God’s mission, we’ve missed the point entirely.
God’s question to Jonah is one we all need to hear: “Do you do well to be angry?” When we’re upset because things aren’t going our way, we need to step back and ask ourselves, “Why am I really angry? Is my anger because God’s will isn’t being done, or because mine isn’t?” Jonah’s anger wasn’t righteous—it was rooted in his selfish desires. And until he could see that, he couldn’t see God’s heart.
WE OFTEN FIGHT FOR OUR COMFORTS YET FIGHT AGAINST GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY. (5-8)
Jonah’s reaction in verses 5-8 takes us deeper into his heart. After God spares Nineveh, Jonah withdraws from the city. He’s still hoping, even after all this, that maybe God will change His mind and bring judgment. So Jonah sits outside the city, waiting, sulking, and hoping for destruction. And what happens next? God, in His patience, teaches Jonah a lesson about misplaced priorities. And in this, we learn something important about ourselves: we often fight for our comforts, yet we resist God’s plans when they don’t align with our own desires.
Think of your favorite couch or recliner at home—the spot you always gravitate towards. It’s the place you can kick back, put your feet up, and just relax. Now, imagine you’ve finally settled into that couch after a long, hard day. You’ve got your favorite show on, your snacks within arm’s reach, and you’re perfectly comfortable. Then suddenly, someone asks you to get up and do something. Your response? Annoyance. Frustration. You might even snap at them! Why? Because that comfort—something as simple as sitting on a couch—has become so important to you that it controls your reaction.
Jonah was in his “comfortable spot” when God provided the plant to shade him, and he was “exceedingly glad.” He was waiting for Nineveh’s destruction sitting back in the shade. But when God removed the shade, Jonah went from being exceedingly glad to exceedingly mad. It wasn’t about the plant; it was about the comfort the plant provided. Jonah’s reaction to losing that comfort revealed how much he valued his own ease and security. It showed that he was willing to fight against anything that disrupted his comfort—even God’s plans.
Our joy should be rooted in God’s grace, not personal comfort. (5-6)
Verse 5 says, “Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.” Jonah builds himself a little shelter outside of Nineveh and waits, hoping that maybe—just maybe—God will still rain down fire on the city. Think about that: the prophet who should be celebrating one of the greatest revivals in history is sitting outside the city, still hoping for its destruction. Why? Because Jonah cared more about being right than he did about seeing people experience God’s grace.
And here’s the crazy thing: even in Jonah’s rebellion, God shows him grace. Verse 6 says, “Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.” God provides Jonah with a plant to give him shade in the hot sun, and Jonah is “exceedingly glad.” This is the first time in the whole story that Jonah is described as being happy. Not when the sailors on the ship turn to God. Not when he’s rescued from the fish. Not when an entire city repents. But when he gets a little bit of shade.
Do you see what’s happening here? Jonah’s joy is rooted in his personal comfort, not in God’s grace. He’s happy when things go his way, when his physical needs are met. And this shows how misplaced his priorities are. The contrast between verse 1—where Jonah is angry about Nineveh’s salvation—and verse 6—where Jonah is happy about his own shade—is glaring. Jonah was furious when God showed mercy to Nineveh, but he’s overjoyed when God provides him with mercy to shade him. But God isn’t just interested in keeping us feeling good—He’s interested in transforming us to His likeness. And sometimes that means He has to disrupt our comfort to do it.
God teaches us through our discomfort. (7-8)
In verse 7, we read, “But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.” The same God who “appointed” the plant to give Jonah shade also appoints a worm to destroy it. In an instant, Jonah’s comfort is gone. And just to make things worse, verse 8 says, “When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’”
This is the same Jonah who just a day earlier was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Now, without the shade, he’s ready to die again. He sounds like one of my kids when I give them the wrong flavor popsicle. “It’s the end of the world! It’s the worst day of my life! There will never be joy again!” Jonah’s happiness was so fragile. It was completely dependent on his circumstances. When things went his way, he was glad, but as soon as God took away his comfort, he spiraled into despair. It’s almost comical, except that it hits a little too close to home, doesn’t it?
How often do we react the same way? When life is comfortable, when things are going our way, we’re happy. But as soon as God allows something difficult—something that takes away our comfort or something we disagree with—we’re quick to complain. Jonah’s joy was tied to a plant that lasted only a day. What’s your joy tied to? Is it tied to your job, your home, your family’s success, your personal abilities, your opportunities, or your health? Because here’s the thing: any joy tied to your circumstances is fragile. It can be taken away in an instant.
But when our joy is rooted in God’s grace, it’s unshakable. That’s the lesson Jonah needed to learn. His joy shouldn’t have come from a temporary plant—it should have come from the eternal grace of God.
Notice the word “appointed” in verses 6-8. God “appointed” the plant, He “appointed” the worm, and He “appointed” the scorching wind. Just as God appointed the great fish earlier in the story, these appointments show God’s complete control over creation. God is sovereign over everything—from the big storms to the little worms. He uses all of it to accomplish His purposes, even when we don’t understand it. Stop fighting against God’s sovereignty. You don’t know better than Him. And you aren’t better than Him. His goodness far exceeds your self righteousness. Jonah didn’t like what God was doing, but that didn’t change the fact that God was in control.
GOD’S COMPASSION IS WIDER THAN OUR PREJUDICE IS NARROW. (9-11)
A magnifying glass can make small things look huge. It zooms in on a tiny object and makes it the most important thing in view. But a telescope allows you to see vast galaxies, reminding you of how big the universe really is. Jonah’s prejudice was like a magnifying glass—he zoomed in on Nineveh’s sin and made it seem enormous. But God’s compassion is like a telescope—it sees the entire universe of human experience and the potential for redemption. While Jonah magnified Nineveh’s sin, God saw beyond it to the possibility of redemption. Jonah’s narrow view caused him to miss out on God’s grander plan. God’s compassion is as wide as the east is from the west. That means it’s endless.
In verse 9, God comes back to Jonah with the same question He asked earlier, but now it’s directed toward Jonah’s frustration over the plant. “But God said to Jonah, ‘Do you do well to be angry for the plant?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.’” Jonah’s anger here is irrational, and it’s also revealing. He’s so fixated on his own comfort, his own desires, that he can’t see past it. His response to God is shocking: “Yes, I’m right to be angry—even to the point of death!” This isn’t just frustration—this is Jonah’s stubborn refusal to even try to see things God’s way.
In verse 10, God lays out the lesson clearly. “And the LORD said, ‘You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” Now, contrast that with what God says in verse 11: “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” The word “pity” here means to look upon with compassion. Jonah more compassion for a temporary plant, while God cares about an entire city of people—120,000 souls who don’t know their right hand from their left, who are morally and spiritually ignorant. These are people who are lost, who don’t know God, and yet God’s heart breaks for them, with compassion. God is saying, “Jonah, if you care so much about a plant, shouldn’t I care about these people? Shouldn’t I, as their Creator, have compassion for them?”
Here’s the uncomfortable truth for us: we often have Jonah’s attitude. We care deeply about things that make us comfortable, but we’re indifferent to the lost people around us. We get worked up over our personal preferences in church—whether it’s the music style, the way the service is structured, or how things are run. But do we have the same passion and compassion for the people in our community who are far from God? Jonah was willing to die over a plant, but he didn’t care that people were dying without knowing God.
God’s love extends even to those we despise. God loves your enemies.
Jonah’s anger over the plant is a mirror of his anger over Nineveh’s salvation. He despised the Ninevites because they were his enemies. He didn’t want to see God show mercy to them. But here’s the reality: God’s love is big enough to include even the people we despise. God loves the people we can’t stand. He loves the people we’re bitter toward. He loves the people who have hurt us. God’s grace is not limited by our prejudice.
Think about that for a moment. Who is the “Nineveh” in your life? Who are the people you’d rather see judged than forgiven? Maybe it’s a co-worker who has wronged you. Maybe it’s a family member you haven’t spoken to in years. Maybe it’s a group of people you’ve labeled as unworthy of God’s love. Whoever it is, God’s message to Jonah is the same message to us: His mercy is big enough for them, too. His compassion extends beyond the boundaries we’ve set up. And thank God for that—because if His love were limited, none of us would be here.
God’s final question to Jonah is one we all need to wrestle with: “Should I not pity Nineveh?” Should I not have compassion for those you hate? Should I not love the people you despise? God’s heart is for the lost, for the broken, for the people who don’t know Him yet, for those in sin. And as His followers, our hearts need to reflect that same compassion.
In the end, Jonah’s story is left unresolved. We don’t know how Jonah responds to God’s question. And that’s intentional. The story isn’t just about Jonah—it’s about us. It’s left open so that we can answer the question in our own lives. Will we let our personal comforts and prejudices blind us to the bigger mission of God? Or will we allow God to expand our hearts, to love as He loves, and to have compassion as He has compassion?
As we close, let’s remember: God’s compassion is far wider than our prejudice is narrow. He loves your enemies. He loves the person you’re bitter toward. And His mercy is big enough for everyone. Including you. Will you receive His mercy today?
