Jonah And The Worm

Jonah 3:10-4:11

There's one question I ask children and adults which, almost 100% of the time, gets the same response of a look of confusion as well as a disbelief in my knowledge of bible stories: Do you know the story of Jonah and the worm?

We all know about the whale, but almost none of us know about the worm. We've all been told of how Jonah was a reluctant prophet, unwilling to speak on behalf of God to a people Jonah felt had no chance at forgiveness from God. We all know about how God made a storm come upon the sea as Jonah was travelling and how the ship's crew, fearing for their own lives, threw Jonah overboard to calm the storm. We all know of how a whale swallowed Jonah and spit him up on the shores of Nineveh to do God's bidding anyway.

But, a worm? What does a worm have to do with the story?

We have a student in our classes who stopped coming to school half-way through his freshman year. This year he's a senior, but with nowhere near enough credits to graduate. Most of the teachers don't know what to make of the situation because on the one hand he honestly doesn't have the skill-set to do the necessary work in order to pass their classes, but on the other hand he wants to try.

Some of the teachers have had an "I told you so" moment with this student, while others have simply chosen to ignore him. But, there are one or two of us who are willing to work with him, as long as he is willing to do the work himself. I will tell you that this young man is kind, gentle, and wants to do what is right. He knows he doesn't have the skills to succeed, but he also admits that that's why he's back in school.

As for myself, I have seen him try, and I have confidence he can learn what he needs to in order to be successful in life. But, I will also admit it took a lot for me to get outside of my comfort zone in order to take the time necessary to give this young man the attention he deserves.

If we are to understand the lesson of the story as told in Jonah, it isn't our duty to judge others, only our duty to work with them to somehow improve their lives, just as long as they are willing to do their part as well. Sometimes all we need is a worm to remove our comfort zone to realize where our heart truly is.