The answer is: A worm

Jonah 4:7 - God employees even the smallest of creatures to do His work. This was to teach Jonah a lesson in pity.

In the Book of Jonah, we learn that God used a simple worm to teach Jonah an important lesson about compassion and understanding. Isn't it fascinating how it’s often the littlest things that carry the biggest messages? This worm not only destroyed a plant that had grown up overnight but also struck a nerve in Jonah, emphasizing how he had so quickly grown attached to the superficial comfort that the plant provided, while displaying little concern for the people of Nineveh.

This picture vividly echoes themes seen throughout the scriptures, such as God placing importance on even the smallest beings. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus similarly notes that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without God's decrees (Matthew 10:29), highlighting a cosmic interconnection that spans from worms to humans. When gratitude or compassion changes because of loss, it reflects what often happens to us – we can inadvertently become more attached to our comforts than to the well-being of others.

Moreover, the quick growth and demise of the plant remind us of the transience of life. Like Jonah's fleeting relief, most comforts in life are temporary. Just as the plant was there one moment and gone the next, our perspectives on what matters can shift dramatically. Are our concerns truly about what is essential and lasting? Jonah's drama reveals our common human inclination to cling to our own comfort, challenging us to broaden our views beyond what affects us directly.