Jonah and the whale is one of the first stories taught to Sunday School children. At first glance, it’s a simple story about going where God tells us to go.

Dig deeper and it turns out Jonah was either one heck of a racist or a traitor to his own people. Maybe a bit of both.

Jonah was instructed by God to travel east from Israel to Nineveh and tell the Ninevites to repent. Jonah did not want to do this. Nineveh was an enemy to Israel, and sought to overthrow the Israelites. Jonah was taught that as an Israelite, he was one of the chosen people. The Ninevites were Gentiles, who the Israelites believed were unacceptable to God.

If the Ninevites repented, not only would they participate in God’s salvation, but Jonah feared they would gain strength to invade his homeland. What would you do?

Jonah ran west and boarded a boat to Tarshish. The Bible says that God sent a great storm that threatened the entire boat. Jonah, knowing that this was God’s punishment for his disobedience, told the other people on the boat to throw him overboard. They did.

To save Jonah from drowning, God sent a a large fish to swallow him and protect him.

Can you imagine getting a time out from God in a whale’s stomach?

Eventually Jonah went to Nineveh and told the citizens that God intended to destroy them if they did not repent.

To his disappointment, the Ninevites did as Jonah instructed. Jonah became so depressed at their repentance–and God’s decision to grant the Ninevites His grace–that Jonah built a hut outside Nineveh and asked to die.

I see Jonah every day when I look in the mirror. (Well, without the hut incident.)

Do I always do what God calls me to do? No.

Do I resent that everyone gets God’s relentless mercy? Oh yeah.

The prodigal son gets a party for coming home broke and broken while the loyal, steadfast son gets nothing? F-O-U-L!

Some psycho serial-killer repents as the lethal injection takes effect and gets to go to the same heaven as me? NO. FAIR.

Move over, Jonah. I can hold a grudge like nobody’s business.

How about you? Are you as stubborn as Jonah?