Saturday, February 25th, 2012 Oh God, why? Job 1 v.1 - 12 There 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. 2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt-offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ This is what Job always did. 6 One day the heavenly beings* came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan* also came among them. 7The 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. ’8The 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.’ 9Then Satan* answered the LORD, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face. ’12The LORD said to Satan,* ‘Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!’ So Satan* went out from the presence of the LORD. As long as human beings have had the capacity to reflect, they have tried to understand why there is suffering, and particularly why the innocent suffer. As we go through Lent to Easter, we will be looking at the book of Job, which was an exploration of this very question. How if we believe in a powerful and loving God, can people suffer? The Jews strongly linked piety and goodness with prosperity. If you led a God-fearing and faithful life, God would reward you. Job is a supreme example of this philosophy. He is scrupulously righteous in everything he does and is and God has rewarded him with material wealth and a large and loving family. He is widely respected and esteemed within his community. But what if all those things are taken away? Would he still be faithful and trust in God? The writer of the book seems to have taken a well-known story about Job which showed him as patient and long-suffering and expanded it to explore how a human being might really react to such suffering. This is how the story comes to be set within the framework of a challenge between God and Satan,* giving opportunities to explore the wider dimensions of one person’s suffering. So the story is set up: a righteous and God-fearing person who has everything he could possibly desire but who now has to face the biggest challenges of his life. How will he respond? *Satan (‘the adversary’) is portrayed as one of the ‘heavenly beings’ but one that is set apart. He seems to be able to wander around the earth at will and the portrayal of him in this book may have been influenced by Persian myths where Good and Evil are seen in this opposing way. (This is not a common understanding in the Old Testament). The book of Job is thought to have been written between sixth and fourth centuries (therefore around the time of the exile) and is a part of what is known as ‘wisdom literature’ in the Old Testament (compare with Proverbs, Psalms and Ecclesiastes) which in very broad terms explores humanity and morality. Reflection    Think of someone you know who is prosperous and at ease with themselves. How have they come to this point in their lives? How does the story of Job sit with their story? Bring your thoughts to God in prayer. Reflect for a few moments on where you are in your own life at the moment. How do you think you stand in God’s eyes? How do you want to stand in God’s eyes and why? Again, bring your thoughts to God in prayer. All of us hear stories of suffering every day, whether in our own social circle or in the world at large. Bring one of those stories to God in prayer (you may find it helpful to use a visual aid). Perhaps you might think of making that person(s) a focus for prayer during Lent. Prayer A prayer of Blessing May God who created you from love and for love heal and bless you – embracing you in the tenderest of mercies. May Jesus who died for you lift the burden of pain from your heart – and take it to himself – for he is gentle – and humble of heart – and desires rest for your soul. May the Spirit of consolation deep within you awaken anew – to comfort you and strengthen you; to restore your trust and renew your love. May Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose own heart was pierced as with a sword, enfold your prayers for healing in her own. And may you find peace in the love of the People of God – forgiving its brokenness – understanding its frailty – and trusting its deep desire to be reconciled with you – so that you, God’s precious son/ daughter – can once again find in the its midst a people and a place that you can call home. www.wellsprings.org.uk