But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.” Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”
Jonah 4:9-11

In the grand finale, Jonah is still angry and sets up tent outside of the city. He waits and watches, probably still hoping that God will destroy the city. At least he is able to enjoy the shade of a gourd plant. However, when God sends a worm the next day that makes the plant wither, “he is angry enough to die.”

God calmly points out the paradox of Jonah mourning a plant he did not grow himself and at the same time expecting God to have no concern for the people of Nineveh. Jonah has only shown a selfish concern for the plant in contrast to God’s true concern for all of his people, Jew and Gentile alike.

Just as God challenges Jonah to grow out of his selfishness, he will challenge us to grow out of our selfishness. Often this comes in the way of inconvenience and discomfort. Pray today that you will see inconveniences and discomforts as opportunities to be less self-centered and more merciful to others.