Jonah the ultimate elder brother

I know we have moved into the New Testament, but I have been mulling over last week's sermon about the elder brother in the parable in Luke 15. As we have read through the prophets, the character of Jonah has resonated with the lessons of that parable.

The biggest sin of both the brothers in Luke 15 was idolatry - they wanted the father's things instead of the father. The problem with idolatry is that it enslaves us. The younger brother ends up by saying that the best he can hope for is to be a slave, rather than a son. The elder brother, who is always with the father, views himself as a slave.

Jonah 2:8 sums up the elder brother's plights very well: "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

The prophets spoke against false gods which people could easily see. We need to be against our own false goods, and as in the case of Jonah, our own self-righteousness and mean-spiritedness.

Why was Jonah so angry? We read in 4:1-2 it is because he knew God was a merciful God who would extend mercy and forgivenss to his enemies. This is the heart of the God we worship - the God who calls us his children, not slaves. It is we who deprive ourselves of that gift.

We may not end up in a giant fish, but clinging to our own idols can leave us in a similarly unattractive place, if we are not careful.