Jonah, the Self-Centered Prophet

“Why do we read the story of Jonah on Yom Kippur afternoon?
I’m glad you asked.

It’s a straight-forward story.
It’s only four chapters.
It’s message is simple.

God cares about all the people.
Jonah only cares about himself.
God wins.

When Jonah is called to be a prophet, he promptly does the opposite of what God asks.

When God asks Jonah to help others, Jonah doesn’t even take the time to refuse. He simply sails off in the opposite direction.

During a raging storm, sailors ask Jonah to pray to God to save them.

Rather than glorify God or do what the sailors ask, Jonah demands the sailors throw him overboard. So self centered - He doesn’t even bother to jump overboard himself.

Jonah doesn’t care what happens to the people of Nineveh. But Jonah doesn’t want to hurt the people on the boat. Did he save the sailors so he could save his reputation? Once Again, only thinking of himself?

Later, inside the fish, closed in the dark prison of self, his vision limited, Jonah focuses on his own pain and fear.

From the depths of darkness, Jonah prays:

“You cast me into the depths,
Into the heart of the sea….
The waters closed in over me….
O Adonai, my God!
When my life was ebbing away,
I called You to mind….
They who cling to empty folly
Forsake their own welfare.” [2:4-9]

Seeing that praising God can save lives, Jonah dives right in.

Even when he is praising God, Jonah is only thinking of himself.

Jonah demands of God:
But Enough about me,
What can You do for me now?

On Yom Kippur, the day of self-reflection, does Jonah direct us to look out for ourselves? To look out for number one.

Should we vow today to take better care of our own needs?
Should we be spending today figuring out how to take better care of ourselves?
Maybe self centered is the goal.

My bubbe used to say:
If you don’t take care of yourself, nobody else will.

That’s an ancient Jewish perspective after all…
Hillel used to say:
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

Why do we read the story of Jonah the Self-Centered Prophet on Yom Kippur afternoon? To learn from Jonah’s mistakes.

Towards the end of Jonah’s story after the Ninevites have repented Jonah remains only interested in himself and a plant that provides him with shade. When the plant dies, Jonah demands that God put him out of his misery too.

God answers by telling Jonah that he is overly self-centered
God says: You care more about a plant and yourself than you care for all the people of Nineveh.

In Jonah’s story every step God takes is toward helping one person or a number of people. Every step Jonah takes is toward saving himself or his reputation.

Even though Jonah knew the fear of God even though he lived with fear
Jonah never allows his fear of God to lead him to follow God’s word.
Even when his prophecy inspired the Ninevites to change their ways, he never learns how to help others turn their fear of God into righteous action.

Is the message of Yom Kippur afternoon, of the Jonah story, that we should focus on ourselves? Only partially.

The story of Jonah’s life illustrates what happens when our fear guides us. Feeling fear isn’t wrong. It’s the next step that counts.

At Kol Nidre, in the evening, when Yom Kippur begins, when we aren’t even hungry yet, we focus inward on our remorse.

On the morning of Yom Kippur the haftarah, the words of Isaiah,
reminds us of our responsibilities to feed the hungry.

All day on Yom Kippur, we look inside at our hunger, our mistakes, our regrets, our fears. When we look inside, we can learn from our emotions and our experiences and figure out how our knowledge can help others avoid suffering.

Towards the end of Yom Kippur, in the afternoon, now, when our hunger interferes with our ability to focus anywhere but inward. Just when we think all we can do is close our eyes and listen, sit back and wait for Yom Kippur to end, Jonah’s story scares us out of being too self-centered.

The last stage of our tshuvah this last period of Yom Kippur asks us to be more than sorry, more than reflective, more than self-aware

This last stage of Yom Kippur leads us to a plan of action. Just when we imagine the gates of repentance beginning to close, the doors of the sanctuary begin to open, to let us out. We examine ourselves, from night to morning. Then, Jonah’s story pushes us to open our eyes, to do something different this year.

To focus on our mistakes, our pain, only in order to put our knowledge to good use.

Someone here knows loneliness well, this year as Yom Kippur ends He may ask himself: How can I ease the loneliness of others?

Another person here knows the obstacles of disability. This Yom Kippur afternoon, she may ask herself: How can I help others overcome the same obstacles?

Some people here know poverty intimately, before the day of Yom Kippur winds down, they might ask themselves: How can we help others escape poverty? How can we teach people who are comfortable enough about poverty to fight it?

Just at this point of the day, when our hunger has turned into pain, when we’ve spent long hours contemplating the obstacles we face, we look inside. We look at our lives. And based on what we know, we plan to lessen the pain of others.

The afternoon and evening services of Yom Kippur are our last chance this year before the gates of repentance close. Jonah’s story is a story of last chances. We listen to Jonah’s story on Yom Kippur afternoon to remind ourselves we should look inward.

Reflection is essential, but it’s not enough.