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约拿书 第四章 - 愤怒与怜悯

探讨愤怒如何揭示我们自身的不一致。

作者:

Here I am

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“你这样发怒合乎理吗?”(约拿书4:4, 8)  

神两次向约拿提出这个问题。第一次,约拿似乎没有回应。他出城,坐在城的东边,想看看城会有什么结局(第5节)。然而,第二次,约拿却反驳神,甚至表达了求死的愿望:“我死了比活着还好”(第8节)。这也是他之前在愤怒中表达的情感(第3节)。  

约拿认为自己配得神提供的荫凉,而尼尼微则配得审判。毕竟,尼尼微和亚述帝国对神的子民构成了军事威胁。对约拿来说,神向这样一个邪恶的民族施怜悯是毫无道理的。他怨恨神对以色列敌人的怜悯。然而,在愤怒中,约拿没有看到其中的讽刺:他自己也需要神的恩典和怜悯。毕竟,也是神怜悯他,预备了一棵植物为他提供荫凉(第6节)。  

表面上,约拿似乎是为了一棵植物而愤怒,这看似是一件微不足道的事情。但他的爆发揭示了一个更深层次的问题:一颗充满不满和怨恨的心。为什么一棵无辜的植物会枯萎,而邪恶的尼尼微人却得以幸免?  

像约拿一样,我们都有过愤怒的经历。在那些时刻,我们是否认为自己生气是正确且合理的?也许内心深处,我们并不这么认为。然而,我们往往没有反思自己的情绪,而是为自己辩护,坚持认为自己是对的。随着时间的推移,我们可能会为自己的愤怒感到后悔,甚至继续为其合理化。约拿的不满增长,是因为他认为神错了。他没有意识到自己的不一致。约拿希望尼尼微毁灭,而不是悔改。他的不一致表明,他的愤怒是不对的。  

今天的我们又如何呢?我们心中是否也有类似的不一致?下次我们感到愤怒时,让我们停下来问问自己:我这样发怒合乎理吗?

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