Jonah the Prophet

Jonah was a prophet. That means he was someone God spoke to. God gave him messages to share with other people. His story is told in the Book of Jonah.

Read more about the Book of Jonah here.

One day, God told Jonah to go to a big city called Nineveh. The people there were doing bad things. God wanted Jonah to tell them to change.

But Jonah did not want to go. He did not like the people in Nineveh. He did not think they deserved to be saved. So instead of obeying God, Jonah ran away.

He got on a ship that was going in the opposite direction. He wanted to get as far away as possible. But God saw where he was. God sent a big storm to the sea.

The storm was strong. The waves were high. The sailors on the ship were afraid. They prayed to their gods, but nothing helped. Jonah was asleep in the ship. The captain woke him up and told him to pray.

Jonah knew the storm was because of him. He told the sailors to throw him into the sea. At first, they didn’t want to do it. But the storm got worse. Finally, they threw Jonah into the water, and the sea became calm.

When Jonah was in the sea, something strange happened. A great fish came and swallowed him. He did not die. He stayed inside the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

It was dark. It was wet. It was not a place anyone would want to be. But inside the fish, Jonah prayed. He told God he was sorry. He thanked God for saving him from drowning.

Jonah knew he had made a mistake. He asked for another chance. He said he would obey God this time. God listened to his prayer.

After three days, the fish spit Jonah out onto dry land. Jonah was alive. He had been saved. Now it was time to do what God had asked him to do.

Jonah got up and started walking to Nineveh. This time, he would not run away.

Nineveh was a big city. It was full of people who did not follow God. Jonah walked through the streets. He told the people that their city would be destroyed in forty days if they did not change.

Something amazing happened. The people believed him. They stopped doing wrong things. They fasted and prayed. Even the king of Nineveh took off his royal clothes, sat in ashes, and asked everyone to turn from evil.

God saw what the people did. He saw that they were sorry. So He decided not to punish the city. He showed them mercy and let them live.

Most people would be happy about that. But Jonah was not happy. He was angry. He wanted Nineveh to be destroyed. He thought they deserved it. He sat outside the city and waited to see what would happen.

Jonah did not like that God had shown mercy. He still wanted the people of Nineveh to be punished.

Jonah sat in the heat. The sun was strong, and he was very uncomfortable. Then God made a plant grow up beside Jonah. It gave him shade, and he felt better. But the next day, God sent a worm to bite the plant. The plant died, and Jonah felt hot and angry again.

He was upset about the plant. He said it would be better to die than to sit in the sun. God asked him, “Are you right to be angry about the plant?” Jonah said yes.

Then God told Jonah something important. He said, “You cared about the plant, even though you did not make it. Shouldn’t I care about the people of Nineveh? There are many people there. There are also animals. I love them all.”

God was teaching Jonah a lesson. Mercy matters. People matter. Even those who have done wrong can change. God wants to save them, not destroy them.

Jonah’s story ends there. We don’t know what he said next. But God’s message is clear. God loves people, even when they make mistakes.

Jonah was a prophet, but he struggled. He did not want to help people he didn’t like. He wanted justice, not mercy. He forgot that God’s mercy had also saved him.

His story shows us that even people who follow God can make mistakes. They can be angry or selfish. But God still speaks to them. God still uses them to help others.

Jonah was honest in his anger. He told God how he felt. He did not hide. And God did not turn away from him. God answered with patience and truth.

Sometimes we are like Jonah. We want people to get what they deserve. But God wants to show love and give people a chance to change.

Jonah’s story helps us think about our own hearts. Are we willing to forgive? Are we happy when others turn back to God?

The Church remembers Jonah as a real man who lived and served God. His story is short, but it is full of lessons. Jesus even spoke about Jonah. He said that just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, He would be in the tomb for three days before rising again.

Jonah’s life points to the power of God’s mercy. It shows that God can use anyone, even someone who runs away. It also reminds us that God cares about all people, not just a few.

Jonah is honored in the Roman Martyrology. His feast day is September 21. He is remembered for his story of failure, prayer, and a second chance.

His life teaches us to trust God, even when we do not understand. It teaches us to care about others, even when they are different from us.

Jonah reminds us that God wants everyone to be saved, and that He is patient with us all.

God told Jonah to go preach in Nineveh. Jonah said, “No thanks,” and ran in the opposite direction.

Instead of heading east to Nineveh, he bought a boat ticket west to Tarshish. The original wrong-way runner.

God sent a huge storm. The sailors panicked. Jonah was asleep below deck like nothing was happening.

They woke him up and said, “Pray!” Jonah said, “This is my fault. Just toss me into the sea.”

That’s not a normal way to calm a storm, but the sailors did it. Boom—storm stopped.

A giant fish (or whale) swallowed Jonah. He lived inside it for three days and three nights.

He didn’t bring a flashlight. Just prayer.

Inside the fish, Jonah prayed a beautiful prayer. Then the fish spat him out. Not gently—onto dry land.

He probably stood up covered in fish slime and said, “Okay, okay, I’ll go to Nineveh.”

He preached that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. To his shock, the whole city repented.

Even the cows wore sackcloth. That’s how serious they were.

God forgave them. Jonah got mad. Really mad. Like, “Why did I even bother?” mad.

He went outside the city and sulked. Then he built a little hut and waited to see if God might still destroy it.

God made a plant grow to shade Jonah. Jonah was very happy about the plant. Finally, something went his way.

Then God sent a worm to kill the plant. Jonah was furious again. At a worm.

God basically said, “You care more about this plant than about 120,000 people.”

The story ends there—with Jonah still sulking and God still being merciful.

Jonah is often called the reluctant prophet. He preached, but he did it with a grumble.

His name means “dove,” but he acted more like a stubborn mule.

Jesus mentioned Jonah and the three days in the fish as a sign that pointed to His own death and resurrection.

Jonah’s symbol is a big fish, a scroll, or sometimes a plant with a worm.

He reminds us that God can use even the grumpy and unwilling to do amazing things.