Second Chances

Introduction

How many times have you heard your child or someone else ask you for a second chance? How often do you give them that second chance? It is something we hear often and are asked. Often we ask this from friends, family or even work. We are not perfect and when we mess up, we want a second chance to make it right. Have you asked God for a second chance before? I can imagine all of us have asked that on more than a few occasions. Today’s passage is about second chances. Listen to Jonah 3:1-10 and see Jonah’s second chance being given and the Ninevites being given a second chance.

Jonah 3:1–10 NRSV

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Trouble in the passage

A little background on Jonah and the Ninevites he was proclaiming God’s word to. Originally, God had told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to declare God’s judgment on them. Rather than going where God told him, Jonah ran the opposite way.

Jonah ran away from God’s command. He risked many people’s lives on board the ship bound for Tarshish (opposite way of Nineveh). Finally, the sailors, per his request, threw him overboard where a giant fish swallowed him and there he stayed for three days and nights. Jonah needed a second chance.

Why did he run away from the job God gave him? Lots of reasons could make sense but the book of Jonah gives little in the area of his reasoning until the end. Assyria was Israel’s enemy. They were notorious for their cruelty to surrounding countries. They had done many awful things to the neighboring countries including Israel where Jonah was from.

Jonah may have not wished to go because this was going into the enemy’s capital and he was sure to perish. Maybe Jonah did not wish to go because he was to tell them of their impending doom. In the end of the book of Jonah, you find out that Jonah did not wish God’s mercy to be extended to them. Jonah did not want them to have a second chance.

Trouble in our world

It is not too hard to think of a time where you did the opposite of what God wanted you to do. How often do you do what you want to do instead of what God commands us to do? Often times we call ourselves followers of Christ, but our words and actions are not Christ-like.

Are we running away from what God is calling us to be? It is easier to take the easy path and go along with the crowds. It is easier to go along on the safe path that will not make us get out of our comfort zone. We are perfectly content staying within our own social circles where we won’t run into conflict or disagreement.

Fear and worry can be factors in trying to follow God. It can also be what it may cost us. To be honest, we like our comforts and control over our lives. God will ask us to give up things which we may enjoy but do detriment to our dependence on God or are interfering with our walk with Christ. At other times, we may be asked to give things which we have other plans for. In other words, God may ask you to help someone out with the blessings you have received.

At any rate, we have failed in many of these areas and we need a second chance with God to make it right.

Grace in the passage

Luckily for Jonah, God did give him a second chance. After three days, the fish spit Jonah out on the shore and Jonah was asked once again to go and speak to the Ninevites the Lord’s word. At the second chance, Jonah does the right thing and does what the Lord asks. He goes through out the city proclaiming its demise because of their wickedness. Regardless of any fears, worries or concerns as to the enemy of Israel, Jonah went to give them the word the Lord gave him to speak to them. He was able to do this because of God’s grace empowering him to deliver the news to his enemy and to safely walk through their streets with a message of impending doom.

The second example of grace is that the Ninevites, including their king believed what Jonah said to them. They heard the word of God spoken to them and they repented of their wicked ways. They repented and hoped for a second chance which God gave them. Normally, if an enemy walks into your town and starts to proclaim your impending doom, you either ignore them or arrest them or somehow silence them. The last thing typically on anyone’s mind is listening and responding to them. Not only was God’s grace upon Jonah but it was also on the people of Nineveh who listened and repented of their wicked ways. The people heard the message of the Lord and whole city, including the king repented of their wicked ways. This is only possible by God’s grace. This shows there is no limit to God’s grace only upon certain people. God’s grace is available for all.

Grace in our world.

We thank the Lord daily that his grace is upon us. Despite our many failings, God’s grace continues in our lives. We are given second chances with God. This does not mean we simply go on with our wicked ways but like Nineveh, the grace is meant to turn us away from sin, to move us to repent.

By grace we are saved, we are saved so that we may too love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. It is such a simple statement but an impossible task. It is only by God’s grace that we can be moved to repentance which leads us to life everlasting.

Grace is that undeserved favor from God, that second chance you have been given today. Our response should be like Jonah, set our feet upon the path God has called us to walk down. To speak what God tells us to speak, to go where God tells us to go, to be who Christ has redeemed us to be.

I will close with a story of a friend who is the perfect example of God’s second chance bearing incredible fruit. A friend was spending his life heavy in drinking and drugs. He was at the point of losing his wife after losing everything else. He came to the preacher and said, I don’t want to lose my wife. They prayed together asking for God’s help. God removed his addiction right then and there. His life turned around completely. He not only got his life back but was a new person because of God’s grace. His second chance God gave him was taken seriously and his feet were set on the right path. While I won’t say that everything went perfectly after that. He never lost his focus on God’s grace redeeming his life. He never lost sight that his life was in God’s hands. This friend is a pastor today leading a church and God’s grace has continued to be on his life.

Take this second chance you are given today and allow God’s grace to work a change in you. Let God’s grace lead you to repent of avoiding God’s calling. Let God’s grace lead you to repent of following wicked ways of sin in your life. Let God’s grace transform your heart and mind to know your life is in God’s hands. Let God’s grace set your feet back on the right path today so that you take this second chance and bear fruit for God.