Truths from the OT: Love people more than you love things

Love people more than you love things. Jonah is probably the only preacher in history who scorned the idea of certain revival. After Nineveh responded to his words (Jonah 3:5) Jonah reveals his reason for running: God is so loving that he wouldn't eviscerate the reprobate if they repented (4:2). Hoping God would change his mind and decimate the state, Jonah built a front row seat outside the city (4:5). God provided a vine to shield him from the sun, but then to Jonah's rage killed it as an object lesson (v6-7). How could Jonah care more for a single plant than 120,000 human lives, even if they were his enemy (v10-11)? People today fool themselves into thinking they love others when how they spend their time and money say otherwise. We ask “how are you?,” but don't make time to hear the response. We're not prejudiced, but there are people we'd never associate with. Christians share a greater responsibility. The messengers of Christ's love are too busy “doing church” to share the gospel, or prefer bigger TVs to helping a missionary. Many love a country more than the lost souls attacking it. We need to love like God.