APRIL 7—My favorite Biblical People
I have a favorite
character in the Old and New Testament.
My OT favorite
is Jonah.
You probably
remember his story. God tells him to go to Ninivah and tell the people if they don’t repent God
is going to destroy them.
Jonah gets on
a boat going in the opposite direction but his presence makes the boat begin to
sink. The sailors throw him overboard to save their ship and he is swallowed by
a whale which throws him up on the shore of Niniviah.
So he tells
the people there about God’s wrath toward them and lo-and-behold they repent
and God spares them.
Jonah goes and
sits on a hill because he is disappointed that they repented.
God makes a
Castor Oil tree to grow and shield Jonah from the sun. Then God sends a worm to
kill the tree.
Jonah is angry
and asks God why he killed the tree.
God replies, “you
care about a tree more than you cared about all the people of Ninavah?”
So, Jonah sits
on the hill and ponders the ways of God. That’s how the story ends.
The blog I
write is called “Under the Castor Oil Tree” and in it I ponder many things.
In the New
Testament my favorite character is “Doubting Thomas”
I identify
with him because in my life I have had many doubts.
Some of them
have been resolved, but not all.
I also like
him for his stubbornness. My wife could tell you I can be stubborn from time to
time.
Not stubborn
enough to be around a whole bunch of friends who have seen the Risen Lord and
maintain that I won’t believe until I touch his wounds.
Thomas must
have annoyed them a lot—refusing to take their word for it and share in their immense
joy.
When Jesus came back into the upper
room, without having use
a door, and offered his wounds for Thomas
to touch.
Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus
said, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not
seen me and yet have come to believe.”
That’s so
true. And my friends we are among those who have not seen the Risen Lord and
yet have come to believe.
Robin Williams,
the comic who was an Episcopalian once said, “no matter what you believe you
can find and Episcopalian who agrees with you.”
So, Believe
Beloved. Believe and you will be blessed….
Shalom and Amen.