The Ancient Word...

God commanded the Jewish prophet Jonah to preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. (Jonah 1:1-2)

However, Jonah didn't care about the Ninevites, so he resisted God's will. He went to the port city of Joppa, boarded a ship, and sailed off in the opposite direction. (1:3)

But the Lord doesn't give up that easily. He sent a storm and then a great fish, which swallowed Jonah and transported him right back to where he started. (1:4-2:10)

Then Jonah obeyed God's command and went to Nineveh. His mission succeeded as thousands of Ninevites turned from sin and sought the Lord. (3:1-10)

Jonah was furious because God had shown grace, love, and compassion to loathsome Gentiles (4:1-10). Disappointed with the prophet's hardness of heart, the Lord asked him,

Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city? (Jonah 4:11, NIV)

Eight centuries later Simon Peter, the son of Jonah (see Matthew 16:17), was staying in Joppa, at a house by the sea. (Acts 10:5-8)

God wanted Peter to preach the gospel to Gentiles in the household of Cornelius. Since righteous Jews like Peter avoided Gentiles, the Lord had to prepare his servant by sending a vision. Peter saw all sorts of animals Jews were forbidden to eat. When a voice said, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat," the Apostle resisted God's will by saying, "Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." However, the Lord doesn't give up that easily. The voice warned Peter, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." (10:9-16)

When summoned to Cornelius' house, Peter went willingly. His mission succeeded as God poured out His Holy Spirit on that entire group of Gentiles. (10:17-48)

Later, Peter explained what had happened to leaders of the church. When they realized that "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life," they welcomed believers from all nations into the Body of Christ. (11:1-18)

At Joppa, Jonah fled from the Lord. But the son of Jonah saw God's heart for the nations and made it his own.

... for Today

In a sense, Joppa represents a moment when the people of God must make a decision about the mission of God. At Joppa, Jonah defied the call of God to reach out to the unreached. At Joppa, centuries later, Peter accepted that call.

We face a "Joppa moment" every time the Spirit of God prompts us to share our faith, to show compassion, to speak the gospel, or to touch the untouchable. Such moments may arise many times each day.

Joppa offers us opportunity to flee or serve, to resist or obey, to ignore the moment or embrace it.

We find ourselves in Joppa when we're chatting with neighbors and feel the urge to pray for them. Will we, or not? We stroll through Joppa when we have occasion to give witness to a friend of God's work in our lives, or to serve someone in some way. Will we, or not?

We all experience these "Joppa moments." God's Spirit grabs our attention unexpectedly and we know what He wants us to say or do.

Joppa represents a test of our will. Defiance inevitably produces failure, just as obedience births success. Our choice to "board a ship" reflects our refusal to submit, and sets us on a pathway to stormy seas. Our choice to "speak to Cornelius" reflects an act of surrender through which God may blow open the gates of the Kingdom in ways we never expected.

Joppa is not simply an ancient city. We pass through that place every day.

Discuss...

1. What "Joppa moments" have you experienced recently? How did you respond? What was the outcome?
   
2. How can we board less ships and speak more boldly when next we find ourselves in Joppa?

Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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