The Injustice of Mercy
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Man Wronged by Police Saves Officer from Burning Car
There was a boom, then the house shook. Daylan McLee thought for a minute it was a small earthquake until a relative came running inside to say there had been a car crash involving a police cruiser outside the apartment in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
McLee ran outside and pulled an officer from the mangled patrol car as flames began to spread into the cabin. Police officials and others have credited McLee with saving the officer’s life after the Sunday evening crash. McLee said it wasn’t a complicated decision to help another human being. But even some of his close friends wondered if he hesitated because of his previous interactions with law enforcement officers.
McLee said, “No. There is value in every human life. We are all children of God and I can’t imagine just watching anyone burn. No matter what other people have done to me, I thought, ‘this guy deserves to make it home safely to his family.’”
McLee had filed a lawsuit in 2018 against four Pennsylvania State Police troopers for wrongful arrest after he spent a year in jail related to a 2016 fight outside a bar. He had rushed to the bar after his sister called saying she needed a ride home because a fight had broken out. When McLee arrived, he disarmed a man who was standing in the parking lot with a gun and threw the weapon aside.
At least one trooper fired shots at McLee as he fled. The trooper said McLee pointed a weapon at him twice, but security footage showed McLee disarming the man, discarding the gun quickly, and fleeing when shots were fired.
McLee, a Black man, spent a year in jail before a jury acquitted him on the charges after reviewing the video. That was a year away from his children, and a year away from his mother, who was ill at the time. She passed away last year.
But McLee stressed forgiveness, saying he couldn’t blame every police officer for bad interactions he had with any others:
We need to work on our humanity ... that’s the main problem of this world. We’re stuck on how to get up or to get even, and that is not how I was raised to be. You learn, you live, you move on and I was always taught to forgive big. You can’t base every day of your life off of one interaction you have with one individual. I don’t want to be called a hero. I just want to be known as an individual who is an upstanding man. And I hope (that trooper) sees this and knows he’s forgiven.
Source:
Claudia Lauer, “Man wronged in past by police saves officer from burning car,” Associated Press (6-22-20)
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
Quick Review Jonah 1-3
Wicked Nineveh
Sinful City
Jonah fleeing
Jonah in the storm
Jonah in the sea
Jonah on the beach
Jonah Preaches to the City
The people from the King down to his subjects repent
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Jonah justifies his rebellion. “This is why I ran away in the first place!” “I know what kind of God you are...” Is it possible that Jonah knew about God, but did not necessarily know God? If he knew God, he would have rejoiced when God relented from destroying the wicked Ninevites.
And watch what Jonah says in verse 3
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
Are you seeing a problem with Jonah’s request? Jonah is asking God to do something that is contrary to his character.
“You are slow to get angry, you are merciful, abundant in lovingingkindness… but please kill me!”
Let’s take a brief look at that word lovingkindness. Lovingkindness means faithful love, a love that is not affected by the good deeds or bad deeds of people. It is a constant love that is not altered by bad or good behavior.
King David beautifully elaborates on what lovingkindness is...
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
Doesn’t that sound like Jonah was paraphrasing what David wrote? Is it possible that Jonah was just going through the motions and restating a portion of a memory text from childhood? Look at what the next couple of verse say...
9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
I’d like to submit to you again, that Jonah knew about God, but did not know God. When we make requests that are contrary to the will and character of God, that is an indication that we are just like Jonah! “Lord, I know that Christians shouldn’t play the lottery, but please help me win just this one time!” “Lord, I know that you said “If two don’t agree, they cannot walk together;” “I know he’s not a Christian, I know he doesn’t fear you at all, but please give him to me as a husband!”
An unreasonable attitude will lead us to make unreasonable requests, and in Jonah’s case
Unreasonable Anger will lead to unreasonable Requests
Unreasonable Anger will lead to unreasonable Requests
4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
And what’s Jonah’s response? Nothing! Jonah’s knows that he’s being unreasonable, but his heart is hard.
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
Comment on significance of “east side” Matt 24:27 “27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
“East side” signifies divine intervention. Jonah is insisting that God go against his character, and he’s going to pout, stew, throw a tantrum until he gets what he wants. Despite what God had said, Jonah is expecting God to wipe out Nineveh.
An unreasonable attitude or in Jonah’s case
Unreasonable Anger will lead to unwarrented expectations
Unreasonable Anger will lead to unwarrented expectations
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
Jonah makes a shelter for himself! To shelter himself from the heat. Let’s read verse 6 again.
6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
Do you remember what God prepared in chapter 1 not to destory Jonah, but to save him… a great fish. Here God prepares a plant. Why, because the covering that Jonah made for himself was insufficient to cover him from the heat! Did you get it?
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
But the covering they made to cover their sin and shame was not sufficient. So what does God do...
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Only God’s covering can protect us from the heat! Jonah did not realize that just as the Ninevites were dependent upon the mercy of God for their survival, the same applied to him. If it were not for the grace and mercy of God, Jonah would have been a dead man!
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
God gave Jonah a taste of what it would be like if God removed his mercy and grace from him. In spite of God’s mercy and grace, in spite of God’s faithful love, Jonah insists on maintaining his anger and bitterness. His anger and bitterness blinds him to the value of human life.
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?
What if God responded to Jonah’s request affirmatively? “Please take my life from me… it is better for me to die than to live…
If God answered some of our prayers, we would be astonished to discover ourselves waking up in the second ressurection (the ressurection of the lost), and not the first ressurection (the resurrection of the saved).
An unreasonable attitude or in Jonah’s case
Unreasonable Anger could lead to an unexpected end
Unreasonable Anger could lead to an unexpected end
Many of us are inprisoned by hatred, resentment, anger, dissapointed hopes and dreams, and bitterness.
Jesus wants to break those chains. He wants to free us from unreasonable anger and rebellion. Won’t you let him set you free.
If anyone here wants to be set free from
Unreasonable Requests
Unwarrented Expectations
Unexpected End