Jonah doesn’t want to consider an alternative to his anger. God, however, offers him a new perspective (4:10) as an opportunity for Jonah to be transformed. We are not told whether Jonah accepts it. The vine is an object lesson that, like parables in the New Testament, takes an unexpected turn. God describes the importance of the vine in much different terms than Jonah. It is this difference that sets up the key contrast for us between Jonah’s and God’s perspectives. Jonah is concerned about the
Page 116