Someone who read my blog in response to Jonah recently asked me if I believed that he really lived in the fish for three days. Questions like these seem to trouble as many seasoned believers as they do people new to the faith who are trying to reconcile the supernatural.
“Did Job really happen as it did or was it a story meant to detail suffering wisely and unwavering trust in God?”
“Did the flood really happen?”
First, I believe a God who is able to resurrect himself back to life is capable of anything. If you believe in the resurrection, there is no story in the Bible that is improbable. As such, whether the story of Jonah in the fish happened or not isn’t a question of if it could have happened, but rather one of how God uses the story to communicate a larger message. What was the meaning of Jonah’s disobedience? We don’t read literally into the parables Jesus offers, because only such stories could advance moral reasoning in the most universally resonant and inclusive way for people of all literacy and comprehensive levels. Theologians and congregationalists alike are not concerned with whether a prodigal son existed, but more so with its underlying theme that God is always waiting with his arms wide open when we turn from Him. We, the members of the body, are all the prodigal son. We know this and there is no debate over the legitimacy of Jesus’ parables. Yet, for some reason, books from the Old Testament garner so much more scrutiny for their literal actuality.
Some questions I had when working through this idea:
- Does this divide exist because Old Testament scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit is taken less seriously than those quotes spoken directly from Jesus?
- Is the delegitimization of Old Testament narratives a result of conflicting ideas of authorships?
- Parabolic literature is its own literary genre that employs metaphor with a subtext that illustrates an instructive lesson or principle. Does the explicitness of the parables and Jesus’ own personal endorsement of this literary tradition (Mark 4:11-12) elicit less inspection?
- Has the idea of an ‘angrier’ God in the Old Testament made readers more weary of the narratives? Is there an avoidance there that manifests itself in doubt?
Jesus was fully God and fully human (Colossians 2:9). He put a face, a name, and a relational identity to a supernatural Father in order for us to form a closer connection to him. Thus, when Jesus flips the tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11-15-18) we do not respond in shock or suspicion of his motives. We understand the righteous anger that propels Him to such actions. Because Jesus became one of us, I believe we have an easier time making sense of what he does and says. His ministry feels closer to our conception-making than God who we can conceive operating at distance further from our humanity. Therefore, I think a lot of believers have a harder time rationalizing the actions of the Father because it is an issue of proximity.
I think Billy Graham said it best when he, himself, was at a crossroads in his faith with what he believed and didn’t know. He eventually relented to the shortcomings of his own human comprehension and made peace with what he didn’t have an answer for in anticipation of an eventual reveal that he had hope in. He trusted the Bible was good because it was God’s word and any lingering questions could remain just that. If every question had a direct answer, faith would be meaningless. Its own definition would be negated as well as much of the Bible that implores patience and trust. A faith like this is not uneducated, but cognizant that we do have to see in order to believe. This is perfectly encapsulated in one of my favorite verses:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)
This is not a faith with blinders up, one that refuses to look into what God is saying. This is a faith that perseveres and hopes in the belief that the supernatural is beyond what we can conjure. It is precisely a faith that actively listens intently to God, and despite our doubts or lack of knowledge, is able to embrace the mysteries we know will make sense one day. It is a faith that is able to envision, denying present shortcomings while trusting providential wisdom. I have seen how His plan has played out thus far in answered prayers I hoped for and blessings received I had not thought of. We are all Jonah as much as we are the prodigal son: fallible human beings learning to navigate the world while our God waits patiently to receive us. I don’t need to see Jonah in the belly of the fish to know my God is capable of anything, or any proof beyond the Holy Spirit working in my everyday life.
Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent —Billy Graham
I love these ideas! Our God is so great. He can do anything & he performs the unthinkable every day! Our faith isn’t dependent on the visual or rock hard “proof” of seeing Jonah being spit out of the fish, but rather the belief in the teaching of our Lord.
Tristan, great post! I think sometimes it’s easy for us to fall into a pit of questioning when we don’t understand something but so much to the point that the truth starts getting muddled.
Important topic. I like the Hebrews 11 reference. Scriptiure tells us it is impossible to please God without Faith. In Hebrews 11 we learn faith is believing BEFORE we understand.
“If every question had a direct answer, faith would be meaningless.” This is a good thought to reflect on. I often get frustrated not knowing the answers. Once again, I appreciate your insight, Tristan.