Do good and don’t stop. “This seed will sprout. Maybe you will see what develops, maybe not. But the good you do is never in vain.” And here is the divine service that this statement is based on.
Legend or real event? It doesn’t matter, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider said. “Jesus Christ believed in it. He cited it twice. If Jesus believed in it, why should we not believe in it? It is not important for us to what extent this is real or not. The important thing is God’s message.”
When God annoys us
What the Chief Apostle was talking about was the story of Jonah. Jonah had been sent by God to Nineveh but refused to take on this mission and ran away. After a storm and his rescue by a large fish, he finally obeyed and warned Nineveh that it would be destroyed. The inhabitants repented, and God spared the city. The Bible text used in the divine service in Heidenheim (Germany) on 9 February 2025 tells us what happened next.
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 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. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4: 1–3).
Why saying no is not an option
“We have been called to pave the way to God for our fellow human beings and to make it easier for them to go to God,” the Chief Apostle explained. There are plenty of reasons to say no to this mission. For example: “It’s no use anyway.” Or: “God will have to intervene and punish them all.” And finally: “Don’t bother. In the end, everyone will be saved anyway.”
However, consider this: “We should really do what He asks of us, simply out of gratitude.” Because God has saved the lives of believers, similar to what He did with Jonah. “He has saved us from the death caused by sin. He wants to lead us into the glory of God. That is why I cannot say no now.”
When doing good pays off
“The story of Jonah teaches us: this is not in vain,” the Chief Apostle pointed out. Against all expectations, the people of Nineveh repented, and God was able to save them. “Jesus Christ wants to do good to our neighbour through us. This is not wasted energy, not wasted time, not wasted effort. It is always worth it. It is worthwhile to carry out the mission God gives us.”
And God’s message was effective, even though the prophet was obviously anything but perfect. And the same is true today. “Even if we, even if the servants of God, are imperfect human beings and do not behave correctly, the message is getting through and the good we do on behalf of and in the name of Jesus Christ will eventually bear fruit.”
How redemption can be earned
Jonah was angry and wanted to die, in other words, He wanted to give up on his relationship with God, the Chief Apostle said. The reason: “He would have liked God to punish the people of Nineveh. And now God comes and grants grace to them.” His thoughts behind this were: “They had sinned for years. How can God now give them the same as me?”
“Do you know this spirit?” the Chief Apostle asked. “Don’t tell me he never came to you. He knocks on my door regularly,” he admitted. “And the good Lord must tell us, ‘Hello, there is something you forgot. You have not been saved on account of your own merit. That is pure grace!”
“You don’t serve God in order to be saved. You serve God because He has already saved you. Your faithfulness is simply a response to the salvation that God has granted you. And it should therefore not bother us if God grants others the same grace. They don’t deserve it, but neither do we. This is sheer grace!”
Photos: Petra Deissenrieder