ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Sapate Tisema 17, 2023

King Jonah of Schadenfreude

Na’e Kovi’ia lahi ai ‘a Siona

JONAH 3:10-4:1

WHEN GOD SAW WHAT THEY DID, HOW THEY TURNED FROM THEIR EVIL WAY, GOD RELENTED OF THE DISASTER THAT HE HAD SAID HE WOULD DO TO THEM, AND HE DID NOT DO IT. BUT IT DISPLEASED JONAH EXCEEDINGLY, AND HE WAS ANGRY.

SIONA 3:10-4:1

Pea ‘afio‘i ‘e ‘Elohimi ‘a ‘enau tō‘onga, kuo nau tafoki mei honau ngaahi ‘alunga kovi, pea na‘e louaki ‘e ‘Elohimi mei he kovi na‘a ne pehē te ne fai kiate kinautolu; pea na‘e ‘ikai te ne fai. 4:1 KA na‘e kovi‘ia lahi ai ‘a Siona, pea ne ‘ita.

You can't see it in English, but hiding in these two verses are four references to ra ("evil"). We might render it this way: "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil [ra] way, God relented of the evil [ra] that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it eviled [ra'a] a great evil [ra] to Jonah, and he was angry." When someone derives twisted pleasure over bad things happening to others, Germans call it "schadenfreude." Had God rained fire and brimstone down on Nineveh, then danced atop their ashes, Jonah would have been the king of schadenfreude. As it was, it "eviled a great evil" to him that he served "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love [chesed], and relenting from disaster" (4:2).

Jonah embodies all those who are scandalized by the audacious mercy of a God who says, "I forgive you," when the world screams, "Punish!" Thank God that, in Christ, he absolves our ra and abounds in chesed.

"I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin" (Ps. 32:5).