Grace-healed Eyes
The repentance Jonah expressed in chapter 2 doesn’t mean his stubbornness was gone forever. It’s amazing to see a preacher so angry at the success of his own ministry, but once again, it’s a sign that Jonah wasn’t actually living by grace. When we let grace heal our eyes, we begin to see our neighbors the way God does. That changes everything. How can we be healed?
If we are the Temple where redemption happens, what is our plan to draw people to Him? The answer is to relearn an ancient, almost forgotten practice: Hospitality. In a time when loneliness is an epidemic, when few people know their neighbors, something as simple as a meal together can be the starting place for something beautiful to happen.
When our bond with God was severed by our sin, He didn’t give up on us. He made a second Eden, a place for us to meet with Him and be redeemed. That place was the Temple, and the events that happened there teach us about a God who is mighty to save, the cost of our sin, and His plans for us.
