The last refuge of a scoundrel
by Shane Altmann
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From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (Jonah 2:1).
Read Jonah 2:1–10
There is nothing quite so fervent as the prayers of a desperate person.
In an episode of the TV show The Simpsons, circa 1990, titled ‘Bart Gets an F’, Lisa catches her brother Bart kneeling by the side of his bed, praying for intervention as he needs an extension to get some schoolwork done that he has neglected.
I don’t remember the full story, but I recall Lisa’s quote very well: ‘Ah! Prayer. The last refuge of a scoundrel.’
You may or may not remember the episode. Bart wakes up the next morning, and it has snowed. Deep, thick snow lies on the ground. School is cancelled, and all the neighbourhood kids are outside sledding, making snowmen and having snowball fights. He grabs his gear, rugs up and begins to head out to join the fun.
Only to be stopped by the stern form of Lisa, hands on her hips.
I don’t remember the details, but she basically says, ‘You prayed for this. It’s a bold man who goes against God.’ She reminds him of his obligations, to miss out on the fun and focus on his responsibilities. From memory, he does.
So, here we have Jonah, inside the fish. I mean, at that point, you have had it, right? No way out, all that is left is you and God. So, he prays. And God answers his prayers and, in what can only be one of the most gross verses in the Bible, the fish vomits him on dry land.
James 5:16b reminds us that ‘the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’. Note, he doesn’t say a pious person. I don’t think Jonah was particularly pious – more disobedient and avoidant, I would suggest. But God had a plan, and Jonah, I am sure, was fervent in his belief and cry to the Lord. And God is good.
So, what’s in this for us? God can do amazing things, miraculous things. God answers prayers, and the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. But Jonah wasn’t that righteous! Correct, it is the work of the Lord that credits him with righteousness because of his desperate faith.
It’s always God’s work. Ephesians 2:8,9 reminds us that even our own desperate faith is a gift from God: ‘For you have been saved by grace, through faith, and even this is not from yourself, but is a gift from God, not as a result of your own effort, so that no one can boast.’
God, thank you that we can come to you in prayer. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you for being faithful, even in our desperate need and darkest hours, whether we are on the right track or the wrong one. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and lead us to pray, to bring all things to you and to seek your will in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
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