Jonah, a Giant Fish, and the People You Don't Like: What Evangelism Teaches Us About Grace

What does a comically oversized fish and evangelism have in common? Probably not much—unless you’re Jonah.

Yes, that Jonah, the Old Testament prophet. If you’re not familiar with his story, don’t worry, we’ll dive into it shortly. But here’s a heads-up: if you’ve ever been reluctant to share Jesus with someone because you just don’t like them, you might relate to Jonah’s experience more than you’d expect. Let’s take a quick look at his story.

Jonah's story, found in the book of Jonah, tells of a prophet who disobeyed God's call to preach repentance to Nineveh. After being redirected by God through a giant fish, Jonah reluctantly delivers what might be the shortest sermon in history. Remarkably, the entire city repented and found salvation (Jonah 3:4-5).

At its core, this story is about two main characters: Jonah and the Ninevites. Surprisingly, you and I can relate to both. Let’s unpack this a little more.

We Are Jonah

Have you ever felt God prompting you to share your faith with someone you’re not fond of? Maybe they’ve wronged you, hold opposing views, or just rub you the wrong way. Like Jonah, you might feel reluctant, unwilling to play a part in their salvation.

Jonah’s story reminds us that when God calls us to share our faith, it’s not optional, and it’s not about us, it’s about His plans, and His purpose. The Holy Spirit’s promptings are never meaningless, but always have a purpose. So when we set aside our reservations and take that step of faith to share Jesus with our less-than-favorite people, we can trust that God will use it to do something extraordinary.

How would your perspective shift if you trusted God’s plan over your preferences?

We often see this story from Jonah’s perspective because he feels like the main character. As humans, we naturally put ourselves at the center of every story. But there’s actually another character in this story that you may not realise you relate to. Sharing our faith with people that rub us the wrong way, as Jonah did, can be challenging—but there’s a deeper lesson in his story that can shift our perspective.

We Are Nineveh

God loved the Ninevites. Despite their sin and enmity against Him, He loved them enough to send Jonah to give them a chance.

Here’s a hard truth: The Ninevites represent all of us.

Romans 5:10 tells us that we were once enemies of God, yet He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, through the person of Jesus. The gospel becomes even more powerful when we recognize that, because of our sin, we weren’t just on bad terms with God—we were outright opposed to Him. And yet, in His mercy, He reached out to us.

Jonah’s mission to the Ninevites is a reflection of God’s mission to us through Jesus: offering grace to His enemies. 

How does it feel to know that God loves the people you don’t like? Better yet, how does it feel to know that despite your sin, He loves you?

This perspective challenges us to embody God’s grace. Just as Jonah was sent to reach a foreign people that he didn’t like, we’re called to share the gospel with everyone—even those we find hard to love. Extending grace to difficult people becomes much easier when we recognize the amazing grace we’ve already received. Who in your life might you be avoiding sharing Jesus with because of your own biases or discomfort?

How would trusting God’s purpose over your preferences change your response?