How the Hearts Grow Cold - When Even Mercy Will Not Thaw, because it implies mercy was needed
They don’t know their right hand from their left (like children)— so why be less merciful to them than to plants? (to Jonah about Nineveh)
Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. (do not have false motives—love innocently like children)
In the past God overlooked such ignorance (Nineveh’s sort)
be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves (check your motives, stay focused on pure self=other motives like children before they are taught the imbalance)
they by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law … They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
they had basic… If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
God wants fruition/multiplication of perfect mercy/compassion from pure motives — just like you (in alignment) wouldn’t want someone to help you for motives other than self=other. That is a violation of the dignity of personhood, even if they don’t see it because after so many violations, they have had their self-respect conditioned out of them.
Respect the office/position of personhood. How you treat those considered highest by the imbalanced world should equal how you treat those considered lowest in the imbalanced world in terms of the self=other balance. DO explain things to children at their level—DON’T embarrass or overwhelm them with TMI for their level.
“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready” (1 Corinthians 3:2)
Seems like Jonah was a lesson more for Jonah to turn around than for Nineveh. Someone who should have known better. Had the law, including love your neighbor; had the all-peoples promise(s). “their conflicting thoughts accuse” — and he wasn’t pagan
But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)? And how will they preach unless they are commissioned and sent [for that purpose]?
But the messenger didn’t believe the message… ran the other way… into the belly of a fish — yet, he was sent.
if there is going to be imbalance, it has to be an “extra” (not a privation) that maintains the “basic”
If there is an imbalance due to privation of basic, even your basic will be taken away. Like ol’ King Nebby eating grass like a cow. How long do you think his kingdom could’ve upheld his position as king if that had lasted indefinitely?
Apply to the “royal priesthood” when it utters “We are not a charity” and keeps the fruit of anOther’s labor.