SCRIPTURE:
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 3:10-4:4
OBSERVATION:
Judgement and grace––what do people deserve? What standard should they be held to? And, most importantly, what standards do we hold ourselves to? If we’re honest, those standards are probably not the same.
The book of Jonah tells the story of a rebel prophet––one whom God spoke to and wanted to speak through to the people of Nineveh, but he refused to, instead running away from Nineveh in the completely opposite direction to Tarshish. Despite Jonah’s disobedience, God gave him a second chance through the form of a giant fish that swallowed him up for three days and nights. During his time in this fish, Jonah was repentant. He changed his heart to be obedient to God and received the grace and forgiveness he did not deserve.
Yet, when God gave this same grace and forgiveness he extended to Jonah to the people of Nineveh when they repented, what was Jonah’s response? Anger. Frustration. Bitterness. Judgement. Jonah had a double standard. Although he had been given grace for his sins, he was angry at God for giving others grace for their sins.
Judgment and grace. When it comes to ourselves, we tend to err on the side of grace. We explain away our sins, ignore what we deserve, and forget the past as quickly as we can. However, when it comes to others, we tend to err on the side of judgement. We quickly point out all the wrongs they committed, all the ways they fell short, and all the things they did wrong. We sentence others to punishment as if we were righteous judges, and we continue to keep score when they fall short again. Despite God’s generosity of grace, we tend to have a double standard.
APPLICATION:
Do you have a double standard of grace? Are you quick to judge others but give abundant grace to yourself? Are you quick to bring up their past faults, but slow to remember yours? Do you extend to others the same grace that God extends to you?
These questions are not to condemn you––”There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Rather, they are a mirror through which you can take an honest look at yourself. Why? Because as Jesus says in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
If we’re completely honest, we tend to have a double standard of grace. If you want to be held to this same standard––viewed under a magnifying glass, scrutinized at every misstep, and held to an unattainable expectation of perfection––then continue to have a double standard. However, if you want to continue to receive grace, then be gracious, for “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).
Does this mean you should condone sin? Should you not speak out against unrighteousness? Should you just let anything and everything slide? Of course not! As people marked by Christ’s name, we are called to be children of the light. But remember that the light does not overcome darkness through brute force––it overcomes it simply by “being.” Exist as a child of the Light. Live in such a way that your words, your actions, and your presence overcomes the darkness.
As the Word says in James 4:12, “there is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” You are not a righteous judge; only God is. Let God be God, and you be you. You are a child of the light. Don’t have a double-standard like Jonah. You have received grace. Now pass on the grace you have received to others, so that they may come to know the love, grace, and glory of God, just as you have.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for your grace. I repent for the times I have had a double-standard of grace toward others, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Remind me of the immeasurable grace You have given me, and in the times where others have wronged me, help me to be as generous in giving grace as You have been with me. I need Your grace, I receive Your grace, and I freely give the grace You have given me to those around me. I love You, Lord.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
