Passage: Jonah 1:7-10
The Big Idea
The sailors ask Jonah, “Who are you?” His answer shows where his identity was really rooted. The question is not so much who you are, but whose you are. In Christ, God gives us a brand new identity.
The Interview Question
“Tell me about your greatest weakness.” Nobody answers that honestly. “I care too much. I try too hard. Sometimes I hit people with my car.” And then the classic: “So, tell me about yourself.”
We bomb that one because we have a hard time knowing ourselves. If I listen to some people, I’m terrible. If I listen to others, I’m the greatest. If I listen to my own feelings, it goes up and down all day.
But Someone else is speaking. God has written us a letter full of identity-forming truth. He tells us who we are, and He offers to stand with us in all our flaws and weakness. He offers a new identity to anyone who knows they need one.
Read: Jonah 1:7-10
Casting lots: there is no random chance
The sailors cast lots to find out who caused the storm. This was an act of faith. These pagans believed some supreme power controlled everything, even the dice. Storms have a way of breaking our self-confidence, and that is a gift, because self-confidence keeps us from the grace God wants to give. God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Our culture pushes the lie that life is random chance. That makes life scary and meaningless. But when we believe God is in control of everything, it heals us, because His character governs everything He does. He is love, and He is holy.
- If God is love, and He loves me, and through Jesus I am not His enemy, then He is working all things together for my good. Every storm is His instrument to shape me or use me.
- If God is holy, He cannot make a mistake.
His love and holiness together mean we can trust Him.
The identity questions
The sailors fire questions at Jonah (Jonah 1:8):
- What is your occupation? Your purpose. Why are you here?
- Where do you come from? Your land. Where do you belong?
- What is your people? Your community.
These are identity questions. In the ancient world, who you were and which god you worshiped were the same thing. Gods were local. You served the god of your land, with your people, and that god gave you your purpose.
That sounds superstitious until you look around today:
- Mercury, god of commerce and money? Visit Wall Street.
- Venus, god of beauty and pleasure? Visit the mall.
- Jupiter, god of power and might? Visit the gym.
You are defined by what you worship. It is not who you are, but whose you are.
Jonah’s answer
Jonah answers that he is a Hebrew, and that he fears the Lord (Jonah 1:9). Notice he leads with his race. His nationality was more fundamental to him than his faith. He tacked his religion onto his ethnicity, and that is why he refused to go to another nation.
We do the same thing. You can believe Jesus died for your sins and still have your identity rooted more in your career, your possessions, your political party or your nation than in the love of God.
The Fruit of a Blind Identity
Jonah is a respected prophet, yet he is selfish, narrow and bigoted, and completely unaware of it. He reminds me of Peter, who said he was strong and then became a coward. Peter’s identity was in his love for Jesus instead of Jesus’ love for him.
When our identity is in ourselves, two things grow:
- Pride. We cannot admit weakness, because if we fail we have nothing left. Only when your identity is in Christ can you freely admit sin and failure.
- Hostility toward those who are different. We have to defend our identity by pushing others away. Peter grabbed a sword. Jonah treats the pagans not just as different, but as “other,” until they are no longer people he needs to love.
A New Identity in Christ
When we belong to God, our identity is bound up in His. The Gospel answers all three questions:
- My purpose: To know God and make Him known. To be in His family and to grow His family.
- My land: Heaven is my home.
- My people: God’s family, from every nation.
Grace Takeaway
You do not have to earn an identity or defend one. In Jesus you are given one: loved, chosen, forgiven, at home. Rest there, and you will find you no longer need to push anyone away.
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