JOB 1:1, 2:1-10 NRSV
1There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That
man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
2:1One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before
the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From going
to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 3The LORD said to Satan,
"Have you considered
my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright
man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity,
although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason."
4Then Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their
lives. 5But stretch
out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to
your face." 6The
LORD said to Satan, "Very well, he
is in your power; only spare his life."
7So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted
loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8Job took a potsherd with
which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.
9Then his wife said to him, "Do
you still persist in your integrity? Curse
God, and die." 10But
he said to her, "You speak as any
foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and
not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
***
The story of Job was told as a parable during Old Testament
times. I imagine a friend of Job, writing down the story, trying to make sense
of the calamity that has befallen his friend. In a time with little knowledge
of science, or psychology, history, or medicine, events, which we now explain
otherwise, the story of Job explains using God’s divinity and power. It is not
unlike how we today explain miracles, or early deaths, natural disasters,
prosperity, or war. Someone pulled through a grave sickness, and is healthy,
the doctors can’t explain it - it was a miracle people say. Someone’s child
died, and they are told, “It was God’s plan.” Haiti gets pummeled by storm
after storm, and they are told, “It is because they made a pact with the
devil.” A person has enormous wealth, and they insist it is because God
provided. A country goes to war, and a nation believes God is on their side. I
become skeptical when people speak for God. I become skeptical when our
assurance is stronger than our wonder. I become skeptical when stories like
Job, seem to know everything that is happening in the heavenly places. I become
really skeptical when the character of God seems to go against the golden rule.
In the story of Job God does not love Job as God loves Godself.
Job is one of enormous wealth, and prosperity. He has land and
thousands of animals, and servants upon servants. He is said to fear the Lord
and to be blameless. Yet with that golden rule, I don’t think Job can have
servants and still treat his neighbors like himself. I also don’t think anyone
is blameless before the Lord. His children throw feasts and parties and ignore
God. Job in turn makes regular offerings because of his children. The land of
Uz seems messy before Satan ever walks in to talk to God.
By the time we get to todays place in the story, Satan has
killed off every child of Job, and almost all Job’s wealth. This has been done
through wars, and storms, things that I just don’t think God brings. Things
that just are, things that come not because God has sent them, but because God
allows them to exist.
This is the part of the story I believe tells us about God and
our humanity. This is that part of the story where the parable speaks truth to
our world. Whether or not God sends Satan, God allows evil to happen. Perhaps
God is not all-powerful, and cannot control evil. Satan seems to have sway over
God in this parable. Perhaps God is not all good, and is more like this Old
Testament God. Perhaps it is all part of God’s divine plan. Perhaps Christ is
the answer for understanding God. But whatever you believe there are times when
we are like Job, sitting in the ashes, scraping our sores with a potsherd.
Anyone who is going to tell you why this suffering exists is
trying to play God. Anyone who is going to tell you why children die, storms
destroy, and wars are fought is trying to play God. I will tell you I don’t
know. It’s something neither I nor anyone else can know. The existence of evil
and the reality of humans suffering have been debated by theologians from the
time of Job, to time of McKalya waiting for a transplant. Each person may deal
with the question in his or her own way, but no one I’ve ever listened to has
the same answer.
I am also not going to look to the end
of today’s scripture and tell you to be like Job, and bless God in the midst of
suffering. Job says, Shall we receive the
good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” I am doubtful that
either Job’s blessings or his sufferings came from God. What I am not doubtful
of is that Job was suffering. What I am not doubtful of is that we at times
suffer. What I believe is we are allowed to question God in the midst of it.
Christ himself cried out from the cross, “My God, my god why have you forsaken
me?” If Christ was allowed to question God about suffering, then I think Job
and we are too. If Christ did not know the answer, I doubt the writer of Job
did.
So what on earth do we learn from this parable? I say, firstly,
that people suffer. It is part of being alive. Suffering exists. We are not
that different than Job, or his wife. How have you suffered?
Secondly, we learn from this parable, people question and try to
understand why God allows suffering. Trying to answer the question evil is part
of being human. We are not that different than the writer of Job, of Job, or
Job’s wife. We try to explain God all the time. So I wonder, when you look
around and see suffering in this world, when you are sitting in the ash heap
with a potshard, what kind of parable would you write to explain the character
God? I also wonder, what would you say if you were Job, or Job’s wife?
