Jonah 4:1-6

Jonah 4:1-6 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Pretty basic distinction here -- Jonah is more concerned about himself and his reputation than the lives of those in Nineveh.  Jonah tells God that the reason Jonah fled was because he knew the Lord would repent and not destroy Nineveh.  Jonah was thinking about how great he would sound telling the story of how he warned Nineveh, but they didn't repent, and if only they had listened to the great Jonah...
  What Jonah should be doing is celebrating the salvation of thousands, but instead he's thinking about potential hits to his reputation.  Jonah finds joy in the plant God raised up to give him shade, but not in the lives of thousands who God just saved.
  There are a lot of lessons and warnings we can take from this.  I think the most important is to examine what brings us true joy.  May we pray for the wisdom to find joy in the things that bring God joy, and to watch carefully for the sins of selfishness and pride.