Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31 (NRSV)

¹⁷ As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” ²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

              Mark 10:17-31 are a series of stories and sayings regarding riches. It provides an opportunity for me to discuss discipleship, for following Jesus, in light of its economic impact upon our lives and communities. It should have an impact upon how we approach stewardship in the life of the church as well.

              Mark 10:17-22 is a pronouncement story concerning the rich young man. Although both Matthew (19:16‑30) and Luke (18:18‑30) also report this encounter, the Markan version presents the most poignant, sympathetic picture of this man. The text shows this seeker's genuine piety by having him run to Jesus and kneel. This eager man clearly recognizes both Jesus’ goodness and wisdom.  

This scene stands squarely in the midst of the Markan discussions of what it means to be a disciple in the shadow of the cross. Immediately following this segment, Jesus will articulate for the third time his own passion prediction to the faithful, but yet uncomprehending disciples. Preceding this text, Jesus declares that the proper attitude to "receive the kingdom of God" is to be as a "little child" (10:15). Jesus is primarily instructing his followers about what it means to be his disciple. They must “deny themselves and take up their cross, and follow” him (8:34). However, throughout this section, Mark’s audience sees ways in which the disciples and others haven’t denied themselves or taken up their crosses, even though they have been “following” Jesus (1:18). They do not understand the signs of the coming kingdom (9:9-13); they cannot heal a boy with a dumb spirit (9:14-29); they discuss among themselves who is the greatest, rather than considering Jesus’ teaching of self-denial (9:33-37). Truly, they are part of the “faithless generation” (9:19), which does not understand what it means to receive the kingdom as a child (10:15). Between this demand for a childlike demeanor and the harsh realities of the looming cross now comes this one man's earnest quest for eternal life.  This text depicts an intensely personalized, detailed scene in Jesus' ministry. Jesus really gets personal — moving from marriage to money.  

Happiness, joy, fulfillment, meaningfulness – I cannot imagine any human being not having a desire for these things. In fact, we spend much of our lives trying to figure out the path we need to take to get there. Many of the choices we make in life either move us closer to or further away from what we consider happiness to be. Of course, that is another puzzle, is it not? In what does true satisfaction consist, not so much for others, but for us as individuals? One of the great ethical and spiritual challenges that face us is when we ask such questions. Maybe going to the right teacher will help. Maybe being a good person will help. Maybe having plenty of stuff will help. Each of these things will undoubtedly contribute to a happy, rewarding, and fulfilling life. Yet…

Like so many things about Christianity, it can ask us tough questions. However, Christianity is our friend in the way that Aristotle noted. He commented that a friend could teach the most important things in life precisely because a friend is willing to hurt you in the right way. What is the right way? A true friend is willing to ask the tough questions. Consequently, do we cling far too tightly to the things of this world? Do we cling to finite things as if they had eternal significance? I hate to say it, but we cling to things because of the enjoyment we temporarily receive from them. These things may well cause our downfall. We may lose the self God intended us to be. We can walk away from what God intended, of course. Many people have done so. 

¹⁷ As he was setting out on a journey, Mark often showing Jesus is always on a journey somewhere and is always in a rush to get there. A man[1] ran up and knelt before him, a gesture of honor and respect that evoked this expression of humility. Why does the man do this? He at least seems to recognize a divine claim has come upon his life through Jesus. He puts himself with the disciples in acknowledging the force of the claim, and asked him, “Good Teacher (Διδάσκαλε), a title without parallel in Jewish sources, demonstrating this young man's high esteem for Jesus. People recognized Jesus as a rabbi (teacher) and many recognized his goodness. What must I do to inherit eternal life?”[2] His question involves apocalyptic life received at the end of time in the resurrection. The man apparently believes there are conditions over and above what the law requires. He is sure that the fleeting temporal life is problematic in light of what death reveals about it. His goodness in terms of the Law and his possessions notwithstanding, he still has questions regarding whether God will accept in eternity. Today, we would say that he has not yet found happiness. Our world is not asking so much about eternity. We wonder whether we can find genuine happiness and meaning here. In this case, the man admits that money, status, and power do not provide that for which he is looking. However, he seems sure that humanity must do something to attain this eternal life. In coming to Jesus with his question, he acknowledges he did not have the answer. The claim of God upon his life will come through the response of Jesus to his question. ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, seeing an opening for a probing question, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. Jesus first responds by not answering a direct question. Instead, he focuses upon the reference to goodness. The Bible frequently applies the title “Good” to God.  The Jewish view is that God alone is good. Yet, creation is called good, the commandments are good. Jesus refuses the designated title of “good” for himself. Jesus' disclaimer serves to shift the focus of this conversation away from the actions and attitudes of the human players in this scene. The man who kneels at his feet is obviously focused on human abilities ("what must I do") and capabilities (being a "good" teacher). Jesus redirects the focus of the man's quest by declaring the goodness of God and the righteousness of the commandments.  We find Jesus refocusing attention upon God, even when a person commends him as “good,” in line with the rest of the teaching of Jesus. The focus of attention is the man’s own surface appreciation for goodness, but Jesus also contrasts God’s absolute goodness with his own, which is goodness subject to growth and trial. Jesus will not succumb to the temptation of receiving idolization from others.[3] In rejecting the title “good teacher,” Jesus distinguishes between himself and his heavenly Father. He stresses the goodness of the Father as an attribute of divine love. We see that at the heart of the message of Jesus stood the Father and the coming rule of God. He did not direct attention to himself. Jesus differentiated himself as a mere man from the Father as the one God. He subjected himself to the claim of the coming divine rule, just as he required of his hearers. He sets himself as a creature below God as he asks his hearers to do in his message of the nearness of the rule of God. In making this distinction, we can see the self-distinction of the Trinity as it relates to the deity and attributes of the persons of the Trinity. We might also see here a basis for saying that in the monarchy of the Father, the Father is the one God.[4] ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud (ἀποστερήσῃς, not part of the 10 commandments, referring to illegally obtaining money by deception)[5]; Honor your father and mother.’ ” The response of Jesus is typical of what any Jew might have said. Jesus directs the man to the law, but the story also shows that one will not receive the full answer there.  The commandments Jesus lists are from the Decalogue's so‑called "Second Table" ‑‑ the commandments that focus most closely on interpersonal human relationships. These relational laws suggest that obedience to God's commandments is expressed by the ability to live in harmony and justice with one's neighbor. ²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Thus, at first, the man is delighted and confident with Jesus' words. Further, nothing prohibits Jesus from saying that the man is on the right path. If he continues, the man will have eternal life. Yet, Jesus will take a quite different approach. ²¹ Jesus, looking at him, loved (ἠγάπησεν) him.[6] Jesus responds with love. This response should not surprise us. The man had virtue, but this does not explain the genuine love Jesus had for the man. The man had offered an external form of obedience to God in obeying certain commandments. Jesus offered to the man love from his heart and soul. The impulsive answer of the man evokes in Jesus admiration. Mark has a pattern for personalizing such stories. He likes to add touches about Jesus seeing, looking, or having an emotional reaction to the situation. Mark is often so sparse in such detail that when he includes it, it jumps off the page. He has a purpose for including it. Out of love, Jesus will reveal what the seeker lacks in his life. Thus, Jesus said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” For some readers, such a command seems to put Jesus on the side of monks, fanatics, and legalists. Granted, God may still issue such a claim upon an individual life. Yet, we need some care here. Any flight into inwardness can look like obedience from the outside by inwardly be disobedience. In this case, the man prefers the yoke he has chosen rather than the freedom to which Jesus called him.[7] Yet, does it sound like love, to ask this man to do the most difficult thing imaginable, namely, to sell all that we have and follow Jesus?  The text says looking on him and loving him, Jesus confronts him, demands a major move by him.  Jesus is not angry here, expresses no outrage or fierce condemnation against the man.  He expresses sadness.  Aristotle said that only a friend can teach you really important things in life, for only a friend knows how to hurt you in the right way! It seems the man obeyed the second table of the Ten Commandments, but did not obey the first table. Yet, even his obedience to the second table of the commandments was only external. Obedience from the heart would have led him to freedom with his neighbors and freedom from other masters. While Jesus states that the man lacks one thing, he actually gives him two commands.  First, he is to go, sell what he has and give it all to the poor. He is a captive to his possessions. Jesus has disclosed that he man did not have a genuine love for the neighbor in that he was unwilling to share with his neighbors. Jesus responds by reminding him that, even as a Jew, his status with God is not a matter of simple birthright.  The shema is articulated after the recitation of the rest of the ten commandments.  It may refer to the first two commandments as listed in Deuteronomy 5. It may be that since v. 19 recites a short-form litany of those commandments, Mark intends his reader to make this confessional connection. Furthermore, in Exodus, God warns the Israelites not to make any idols. Certainly, the young man shows that his wealth has become his idol for he cannot imagine life without it. With its injunction to sell everything, the saying is in line with other things Jesus says about wealth.  Jesus does not just add one more commandment, but declares that following in his case would be renouncing riches and giving to the poor.  That Jesus chose a life of poverty shows a difference between himself and Jewish teaching of riches being a sign of divine favor.  Out of genuine compassion, Jesus swiftly identifies the one obstacle blocking this man's relationship with God, an overweening attachment to what can only be called "stuff." Jesus' command not only shocks the questioner; it stuns the normative standards of first‑century Judaism. While there was no scriptural prohibition to keep the pious from giving away all personal belongings, scribal legislation restricted almsgiving to one‑fifth of one's personal property (Kethubim 50a). This insured that the pious giver would not be reduced to poverty ‑‑ thus becoming another candidate for charity himself. Jesus' suggestion that the man impoverish himself also flies in the face of the common understanding that possessing wealth was a sign of divine favor. Jesus' command made clear that nothing less than a complete commitment to God and God alone would enable a believer to lay up "treasure in heaven." Second, he is to come and follow Jesus — a path that will lead him to the eternal life he seeks.  Indeed, we must not be, like the questioner himself, so amazed at Jesus' demand that we miss the second (and most crucial) part of Jesus' command: "then come, follow me." We find our search for eternal life, for meaningful and joyful life, when we follow Jesus. Clearly, kneeling before Jesus was not enough! He had come close to Jesus, but not close enough. He needed to follow. He needed to belong to Jesus. Jesus invites the man to be free for God and free for his neighbor. ²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. As Mark catalogs the man's response, he reveals for the first time the economic status of this individual: He has "many possessions." This man is no longer enthusiastic but shocked.  This man is no longer eager; he is sorrowful or grieving, for he had many possessions.  His withdrawal does not lessen the force of the claim of God upon his life. In fact, his sorrow testifies to the power of the claim God has placed upon his life. The way that Jesus walks is narrow, so narrow that there will be many who like this man, go away in sorrow.  Jesus’ love, however, includes a challenge that the man cannot bring himself to fathom, let alone fulfill. Jesus' command unerringly zeroed in on this man's exclusive source of well‑being. His most important sense of self came from the status, power and security vast affluence afforded him.  The man's failure to follow through on Jesus' final demand reveals that his confessed observance of the Law was governed more by possessions and position than by a thirst for righteousness. He judges the cost of eternal life too high and sadly leaves. The invitation to follow Jesus for the first time rejected. However, others will reject the invitation to follow due to perceived responsibilities and duties (Luke 9:57-62 and Matthew 19:18-22). We learn that in reality, he has not obeyed the commandments. He has an idol in his wealth. He has disobeyed the first two commandments. 

The dearest idol I have known 

Whate’er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from thy throne,

And worship only thee.[8]

 

Even in coming to Jesus, he passes by Jesus. The claim of God upon his life is that be become a covenant partner with God by belonging to Jesus. The man is not willing to say yes to this claim. What God required of him was too much. He proves himself to be unworthy, impotent, and lost. Jesus bound himself to his Father, and therefore was for others and free from other lords and masters. His freedom allowed him to stand with the poor. In the presence of Jesus, the rich man became poor. He has so much, and yet lacks the fullness that following Jesus would have given. This lack condemns him. This lack excludes him from eternal life. He is disobedient. Yet, we must not say that God abandoned him. We do not know what happened to him. Even in his disobedience to the claim of God testifies that the rule of God has embraced him. His disobedience now means that he might obey in another time. Jesus let this wealthy man walk away. He did not badger him, as many zealous persons might have done. Jesus allowed him to leave because the time was not right. Jesus probably trusted that the day would come when the advice he had received would make sense. We cannot force people to believe something they choose not to believe. Nor can we force anyone to love other people. It must come from within.

In one sense, everything we encounter in the world makes a claim upon us that demands our attention. The same is true of the ultimate claim upon our lives. We experience the voice of many lords. The difference is that the claim of God comes to us in freedom or permission, the positive response to which grants life and grace. Granted, the claim does have a corresponding obligation. Here, the command has the aim of the fulfillment of the one will of God. In the figure of the rich man we have one not equal to the demand. In contrast, Jesus and the disciples are examples of those who are obedient to the divine claim. Both the obedient and disobedient are subject of the living command of God. [9]

            Mark 10:23-27 is a series of sayings on the danger of riches. Some scholars think this complex of sayings reflected an attempt to define the social borders of the Christian community, which in its early days was essentially a movement of poor peasants.  It clearly reflects the struggle over who was to be admitted to that community.  On the other hand, Jesus congratulates the poor in the beatitudes, and that probably means he did not think the kingdom belonged to the rich.  

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! The rich man not following Jesus is the general rule rather than an unfortunate exception.[10] It is not typical of Judaism to believe wealth is a barrier to entry into the kingdom. For Jesus, riches pose a problem to spiritual welfare.  The difficulty lies in the choice between caring for the things of God and caring for wealth. That wealth and entry into this kingdom might be negatively related is an astonishing idea, especially since riches were generally assumed to be a sign of God’s favor. The notion of “entering” has a future sense, referring to participation in the future fellowship of salvation. Along the lines of the message of Jesus, the salvation that he mediates consists of fellowship with God and the related life, which also embraces a renewal of fellowship with others. To find access to the rule of God is of the very essence of salvation.[11] ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”[12] The saying has the exaggeration typical of parables and aphorisms of Jesus, containing as it does a humorous hyperbole. Jesus further dramatizes the difficulty posed by wealth by offering the mind-sticking image of the camel passing through the eye of a needle. Jesus thinks of the kingdom as a present reality. As hyperbole, it expresses what is humanly impossible, such as log and splinter, gnat and camel. ²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” The succinct point is that it is impossible for men and women to save themselves, whatever their financial state. The disciples have done what the rich man would not do, but they still wonder who can receive salvation. Thus, the passage hinges on this verse. The saving of anyone is something that is not in the power of human to give. No one can receive salvation in virtue of anything he or she does. Everyone can receive salvation in virtue of what God can do.[13]

We need to re-evaluate our attitude toward wealth. Jack Benny had a famous radio skit. A voice says, "Your money or your life."  There is a long silence.  "Well?"  Benny says, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

The question Jesus raises is whether wealth has its proper role in our lives. 

An Amish man stopped his farming to watch a new neighbor move in.  Among the many items that came out of the delivery van were a deluxe refrigerator with a built-in ice cube maker, a state of the art stereo system with a VCR, and a whirlpool hot tub.  The next day the Amish man and his wife, who brought a gift of homemade muffins and jam, welcomed the new resident.  After the usual greeting and conversation, the Amish man said, "If anything should go wrong with your appliances or equipment, don't hesitate to call me."  That is very generous of you, the new comer said.  "No problem.  I'll just tell you how to live without them."

Discipleship and following Jesus have economic implications in our lives. We must not succumb to the temptation of evasive rationalization in this matter.[14] Sharing possessions are an eschatological sign, demonstrating the transforming power of the rule of God in our lives individually and in our communal life. The rule of God impinges upon the present in such a way that we are free to act with generosity that comes an image of the good future contained in the hope for the rule of God. The question is how we can order our economic practices in the church and in our discipleship so that they become such a sign. Asking this question seriously and in a sustained way will require imaginative reflection and costly change. I do not hold out the hope for a new Reformation in this, but maybe a modest nudge in the right direction.[15]

            Mark 10:28-31 is a collection of sayings on the prospect of reward for those who follow Jesus. 

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. While the issue of riches is central to this passage, the reader is misled to focus, as the disciples do, on riches alone. Truly, in the gospels Jesus professes God’s priority for the poor. Nevertheless, this story really is not about the issue of wealth — it is about trust in God’s ability to save. Like other more traditional parables, the disciples become perplexed, unable to fathom the truth of what God’s kingdom is really like. Here is a specific direction to specific people at specific times and followed in specific ways. The call to discipleship cuts across the self-evident attachment to that which we possess.[16] Jesus leaves his disciples and the modern reader unsettled, for the “reward” of leaving all for the “sake of the good news” is persecution in the present. Even if there is a hope for an eternal life in the age to come, one needs to be careful in identifying the “age to come” with life after death. If it is true that many of the early Christians expected Jesus to return before their own deaths, then the “age to come” identifies a time on earth that the first disciples were expecting to see. We find a distinction between the reward received here and now and the rewards in the age to come. The saying promises abundance to those who have abandoned property and family in response to Jesus’ summons. The promise of reward to those who sacrificed so much was enticing. The riches of social and religious communion would compensate suffering and real loss.

³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” Jesus offers a hint of warning at the conclusion. The warning is that if you have left everything to follow Jesus, do not be self-righteous in their renunciation. 

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[1] While Luke identifies the young man as a ruler, which would fit in well with Luke’s particular editorial interest and Matthew calls him “someone.”

[2] Some would say that despite the man's respectful attitude toward Jesus and the respected pedigree of his inquiry, the scene betrays the perverse notions of this seeker from its very beginning.  Thus, the young man’s address to Jesus is common.

[3] As a contrary view to what I have offered, some view this as an acknowledgment of some imperfection in Jesus.  Another alternative to what I have offered is that Jesus is leading to the acknowledgment of his own divinity.

[4] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 263, 309, 321, 326, 432, Volume 2, 372.

[5] This is not in Matthew or Luke or in the Ten Commandments! While not one of the Ten Commandments, the author of Deuteronomy prohibits deceptive and predatory economic practices in another location (24:14). Jesus does not quote the well-known commandment concerning love of neighbor. Furthermore, there is no mention of the prohibition against coveting. However, Jesus may offer a fairly unique interpretation of the tenth commandment prohibiting covetousness. For a man of many possessions or much land (the more usual translation of ktemata pollan which is here "great wealth"), to defraud was more tempting than to covet. Perhaps Jesus’ addition of this prohibition against fraud and his omission of the commandments specifically directed to relationships with neighbors suggests that the young man’s wealth was ill-gotten at the expense of his neighbors. This is a possible explanation but not certain, for there seems to be no guilt or recognition that he has been judged by Jesus. In fact, the story Mark presents is sympathetic to the young man. 

[6] Not with anger or ridicule and not out of some decision to squelch an ego or make an example

[7] Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.2 [66.3] 542.

[8] William Cowper, 1731-1800.

[9] Barth, Church Dogmatics II.2 [37.3] 613-23.

[10] Barth Church Dogmatics IV.2 [66.4] 556.

[11] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 2, 328, referring to Johannes Weiss, and p. 398.

[12] Some have tried to soften its impact by changing camel to rope or by making the needle’s eye a gate.  

[13] Barth Church Dogmatics II.2 [37.3] 623-27.

[14] (Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1996], p. 464.) 

[15]Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1996, pp. 466-468

 

[16] Barth Church Dogmatics IV.2 [66.3] 548.

Hebrews 4:12-16

Hebrews 4:12-16 (NRSV)

¹² Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

¹⁴ Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In Hebrews 4:12-16, we have the writer focusing upon two classic biblical principles of judgment (verses 12-13), and grace (verses 14-16). It gives me an opportunity to discuss the word of God as judgment, as well as the offer of grace through Christ.

In Hebrews 4:12-13, some scholars see a poem. The point is that it is impossible for anything to hide itself from God and that it is impossible for anyone to deceive God with feigned loyalty. ¹² Indeed, the word of God is living (Ζῶν[1]) a higher form or principle, not the dead word of a document, but continuing to have meaning for us in a changing world. We need to ask how this word informs our actions. The word of God is active (ἐνεργὴς), that is,effectual, even powerful, as in having energy or power to accomplish its task. Far from a passive word on a page, the word of God is active. The word of God is living and enduring (I Peter 1:23) as well. The word of God is sharper (τομώτερος) than any two-edged sword. The word of God is so sharp it gets to the significant portions of our thoughts and actions. It cuts to the chase rather than chase the shiny object. It cuts out the nonsense and silences the background noise. In fact, the word of God is piercing[2] (not just scratching the surface but also penetrating completely through) until it divides (parts or separates) soul from spirit, joints from marrow. The sword or knife is so sharp it is like fileting fish, only this time applied to soul and actions. The word of God has nuance, is sharp, and able to cut to the issues that concern us with laser like precision — no matter how leathered, scabbed or hardened. The mouth of the prophet is like a sharp sword (Isaiah 49:2). Believers are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The point is that believers need spiritual weapons. In apocalyptic imagery, the mouth of the risen Lord has a sharp, two-edged sword that came from it (Revelation 1:16). The operation the word of God is performing on us exposes us to the judgment of God. Further, the word of God is able to judge (κριτικὸς, discern,[3] or make an assessment, thus fit or skilled in judging) the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The word of God is the critic, unraveling all of our justifications and rationalizations for our behavior. The word that Jesus speaks will serve as judge for those who reject him and his word (John 12:48). Here, the sword discloses the secret thoughts of the heart of people, which may mean the image might be that of a knife.[4]  This metaphor illustrates the nature of the word or voice of God, a procedure that even the most finely sharpened two-edged sword cannot accomplish. The metaphor extends to the realm of the human heart — a realm that we mistakenly believe is open to scrutiny only when we choose to reveal it. The unsettling news, however, is that “the word of God” discloses our thoughts and intentions. The word of God, which Jesus and Paul preached, can make divisions and distinctions that are impossible for human beings.  While one can understand the phrase “the word of God” in a traditional interpretation as referring to the Scriptures, the context seems to point in another direction.[5] For some, an appeal to the context suggests that “word of God” refers to Christ as the “word of God.” Thus, the Jewish people could think of the all-powerful word leaping from the divine throne, bearing the sword of the decree of the Lord (Wisdom 18:14-16). With apocalyptic imagery, a sharp sword coming out of the mouth of the risen Lord can smite nations (Revelation 19:15). Thus, rather than thinking of a collection of documents as the word of God, a notion with which I have no problem, this context might suggest the word or voice of God. When God speaks through servants of the Lord, people need to pay attention and listen, for the voice of God that speaks through them is living and active rather than a dead and passive word. Moses delivered the “living oracles” of God (Acts 7:38).  ¹³ In addition, before God, no creature can hide itself, but all are naked and lay bare (τετραχηλισμένα, at the mercy of an opponent, defenseless) to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account (λόγος). If we are to the word in this way, we must have a posture of listening. After we have done our critical assessment of a text, all of which is important for many readers, we need to listen. We need to let the word permeate our inner life. Today, such a posture can be difficult. We are aware of historical inaccuracies, of scientific errors, of theological differences at various stages of biblical history, and differences with modern values (role of women, slavery). Those who seek to be faithful to the word of God need to learn ways of handling such matters. One can do so with proper attention to the text and with a discerning mind and heart. However, the arrogance of the modern mind is strong. Its position toward ancient texts is often one of passing judgment rather than listening. Here is the point. The text expresses the thoroughness of God's scrutiny. In sum, God can judge each one of us just as God judged the people of Israel. God can do this because nothing can hide from God. Consistent with this thought, the Lord looks down from heaven, sees humanity and observes all their deeds (Psalm 33:13-17). The eyes of the Lord examines human ways (Proverbs 5:21). The eyes of the Lord are on all their ways, for the people of the Lord cannot hide their iniquity from the divine presence (Jeremiah 16:17).  No one can hide in secret places, for the Lord fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24). The Lord reveals deep and hidden things (Daniel 2:22). Thus, the argument of the author is that humans are in an unpleasant predicament. We can hide neither sinful thoughts nor deeds. We stand under divine judgment. We have an account, a responsibility, which we owe to the divine judge. Not even in the name of love can one blunt either edge of the sword of the Word of God. One cannot make the free grace of God a comfortable grace, nor transform the good Lord into a good man. One cannot disguise from people the fact that where people recognize and acknowledge the rule of God as such, it is a matter of losing one’s life to gain it, of making a right about turn. We are not concerned with the familiar religious experiment the fulfillment of which means the strengthening and heightening of their self-fulfillment.[6]

This is sobering news. It means that God not only knows what I do and say. God knows what I am thinking. God knows my fantasies. God knows my private likes and dislikes. God knows when I look with hidden disapproval, with jealously, sometimes even disdain, upon another person. Martin Luther used to beat himself with a whip because he was sure that those beatings stifled impulses and exotic longings lay bare before the Lord. He discovered that he could not receive salvation by becoming perfect. Rather, it can only be possible through undeserved grace.

The good news is that God also knows our sadness and our disappointments, and, most important, God can peer deeply into our psychic being where we ourselves are unable to see. Yes, God knows all my private sins. God created me and knows why I am the way I am. God understands my childhood, my genetic identity, my inherent weaknesses and strengths. I do not believe God will ever be disappointed in me, or any of us, so long as I am earnestly trying to be better than I am. When I became a Christian, I saw the model toward which I am to strive. I will not get closer in this life. Paul said when we die we will be like him. Of course, we will not be exactly like Jesus in his love for God and humanity. Yet, we will be closer in the future than we are now. It does not embarrass me that God sees me in my total humanity. My embarrassment comes when I choose not to try to emulate Jesus Christ. However, I must never forget that God sees me as I am. Nevertheless, through prayer, and the guidance of the Spirit, I can become what I am here to become. As one elderly woman said, “I ain’t what I oughta be, I ain’t what I’m gonna be. But thanks to the good Lord, I ain’t what I used to be.” 

The Word of God can have this same uncomfortable, scrutinizing effect upon us.  It reveals us as we are, candidly exposes us‑‑just as a scalpel lays bare our innermost selves, and uncovers that which needs light and healing.  There is a story in the Bible about a "Bible" that was lost many years ago and then was found again.  We read about it in II Kings 22.  In those days there were very few copies of God's Word available, and, besides that, it contained only the first five books of the Bible as we have it today, the Books of the Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).  For many years, nobody knew where that "Bible" was.  It was lost.  That was a real tragedy, for "Bibles" were scarce in those days.  You could not just go to a church or a Bible Society and get a copy of it.  Therefore, it was no wonder that King Josiah and his people knew little about what God required of them.  They had not read his Book for many years, and it seems that most of the people had practically forgotten about it.  Moreover, their ignorance was dragging them down to a low spiritual and moral level.  What else would you expect?  If they did not know the corrective Word of God, how could they know the will of God?  How did they rediscover the “Bible" in the days of King Josiah?   Well, that is the strangest part of it all.  It was really an accident.  They really were not looking for it at all.  The king had decided to clean up the temple and repair it.  It was high time, for they had sadly neglected the house of God.  That was one of the results of losing that "Bible."  At any rate, when the king and his people began the work of restoration and reconstruction, they found the "Bible" right there in the temple, probably under a big pile of rubbish.  Imagine their surprise.  Imagine their embarrassment as well. When they cleaned house in the house of the Lord, they found the long-lost book.  Moreover, the priest who saw it first exclaimed with great excitement, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord!"  Yes, it is possible to lose the Bible right in the church‑‑and in many ways.  It is lost when the people of God do not heed it, when we dull its sharp edges, when we try to make it say what we want it to say. We, in the church, have received the gift of God's Word, not only to keep it from getting lost, but also to keep it from becoming dull and ineffective.[7]

Hebrews 4:14-16 has the theme of Jesus as high priest. It repeats the point in 2:17-18. In fact, one can read 4:14-7:28 as an exposition of Psalm 110:4. Thus, although each of us will give an account of our thoughts and deeds before God, if we listen to the word of God, we have hope. Here is the grace of God. ¹⁴ Since, then, we have a great high priest, the highest office in the Judaism of the time, who has passed through the heavens, like the smoke of sacrifice piercing the heavens or a reference to the ascension, Jesus, the Son of God (king), let us hold fast to our confession (the faith we profess). The redeemed people of God have an advocate who intercedes for them. This passage is a skillfully written exhortation that encourages believers to “hang on!” and never give up. In order to achieve this objective, the writer builds his thesis on two classic biblical principles — judgment (4:12-13) and grace (4:14-16). Specifically, the passage admonishes believers to both hear and obey God’s voice. If they fail to observe God’s instructions, judgment waits (4:12-13). He is now ready to describe what happens if they do listen and obey the word of God (4:15-16). Thus, the author does not abandon his readers to the dire circumstances described in verses 12-13. He does not allow his readers to languish in their perilous situation. He exhorts them to persist in living out their confession of faith. If they listen to the word of God, they do have hope as they give an account of their thoughts and deeds. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, and thus detached from us, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are. 

Keith Miller told of the time a man came to him for counseling, troubled by a problem having to do with jealously. The man was terribly upset; convinced he was a bad Christian. Keith told of the fact that he had been guilty of the very same fault that very day. As he listened to the man pour out his sad tale, Keith said his temptation was only to listen. To admit his guilt might lead to the man not trusting him. However, not to admit his own flaw would be dishonest. Finally, Miller told the man the truth. He himself had also been guilty of hidden jealously. He wrote that he expected the man to walk out of his office. Instead, the man began to cry. He said he was so grateful to learn that someone else struggled with the same problem. Until this moment, he had had felt completely alone. We all have memories that we will not tell to just anyone. We have some memories that we will not tell to even our closest friends. We tell them only to ourselves. In fact, the more decent we are, the greater will be the number of such things.[8] There are people all around us who will never express their pain because it is too deep and threatening to face. Yet, God sees us as we are, as we can one day become, and we are partners along the path of life. 

Yet, our High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God, is without sin. Philo claimed that the high priest became half-divine on the Day of Atonement, free from sin. How can we as readers know that the continuing ministry of the risen Lord before the Father sill be efficacious? How will Jesus be able to intervene and prevent us from receiving the condemnation we deserve? Why should the Father listen to the advocacy of the Son our behalf?  Frankly, the Father did not think Moses worthy of entering the Promised Land (4:3)! Why should we believe that we would escape wrath before the discerning work of the word of God? Of course, the answer is that Jesus is without sin. He overcame temptations. He passed the test of life. He knew no sin (I Corinthians 5:21). The Father sent the Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). Jesus committed no sin, nor was a deceitful person (I Peter 2:22). His listeners cannot convict him of sin (John 8:46). In Christ was no sin (I John 3:5). Of course, one must not make the mistake of dissolving Christology into a reflection on the moral perfection of Jesus, as did Schleiermacher.[9] Yet, the point is an important one. He exhibited reverent submission and learned obedience through what he suffered (5:7-9). For all these reasons, the Father listens to the Son, who intercedes for us even now. ¹⁶ Let us therefore approach, in the context of priestly service at the temple, the throne of grace (not judgment as in verses 12-13) with boldness (saying everything freely), so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Through the high priest, who intercedes for them, the people could approach God. The type of “help” they receive is entry into the Promised Land. 

John Chrysostom, in commenting on this passage, meditates on the need to be earnest in living the Christian life. Although the passage does not use the image of running, he is in touch with the theme of this letter, that weariness on the part of the readers is a real danger. He reflects on his observation that one who runs a race does not look upon other runners, nor pays much attention to the meadows or dry spots, or looks upon spectators. The runner looks upon the prize. Whether rich, poor, mocked, praised, insulted, plundered, or having a family, one thing occupies the runner, and that is to gain the prize. One who runs does not stand still, for if the runner does, the race is lost. One who runs will pick up speed toward the end. He has apparently heard some older Christians say that in their younger days, they had spiritual discipline, but as older people, they are careful. He does not advise lessening the speed spiritually as you near the end of the race. This race needs a thoroughly awakened soul, which should be full of vigor in old age.

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[1] The Greek word here is not bios.

[2] The word here is the only occurrence in the NT. It’s from two words meaning “to go through.”

[3] The Greek word for “discerning” is only here in the New Testament.

[4] Michaelis, TDNT, Volume 4, 526-527.

[5](See also William L. Lane, Hebrews: A Call to Commitment [Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1985], 66-71. Although Lane initially seems to concur with this assessment, he later qualifies his position during his concluding remarks and reverts to a more traditional perspective.)

[6] Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV.3, 71.5, 627-8. 

[7] Pulpit Resource, October-December 1997.

[8] Dostoyevsky, in Notes from the Underground.

[9] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, Volume 2, 306)

Job 23

William J. Blake

Job 23:1-9, 16-17 (NRSV)

23 Then Job answered:

² “Today also my complaint is bitter;

his hand is heavy despite my groaning.

³ Oh, that I knew where I might find him,

that I might come even to his dwelling!

⁴ I would lay my case before him,

and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵ I would learn what he would answer me,

and understand what he would say to me.

⁶ Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?

No; but he would give heed to me.

⁷ There an upright person could reason with him,

and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. 

⁸ “If I go forward, he is not there;

or backward, I cannot perceive him;

⁹ on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;

I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.

¹⁶ God has made my heart faint;

the Almighty has terrified me;

¹⁷ If only I could vanish in darkness,

and thick darkness would cover my face!

In Job 23:1-9, 16-17, we read of the experience of divine absence. Job would like to get a hearing with God to defend himself. Yet, Job cannot find God, even though he has followed the ways of God. If God has chosen to judge, one has no hope. The poor receive oppression while God does not hear the appeal. The wicked go on their normal way. The passage is not a prayer, but it has the quality of a prayer. 

The greatest promise through the Scriptures is that God is with us. God is present with us, and we are present with God. We speak theologically of the omnipresence of God. Paradoxically, however, God’s absence (or the inexplicable absence of favorable divine action) is also a prominent feature of quite a number of biblical texts (as in the complaints of many psalm-writers). Hence the intriguing title of Samuel Terrien’s The Elusive Presence.  There are times when we do not feel any sense of divine presence. Sometimes that may have to do with our own state of mind. Maybe God chooses to remain hidden from us at times. If so, it should be for reasons that will be beneficial to us in the long run. We see that Job eventually learned what true faith is. He trusted God without evidence. Certainly, there are times when we go to church and barely manage to keep our minds on the service. There is absolutely no sense of any divine presence at all. This is often true of our prayers. We feel at times like a child throwing rocks at the moon. 

The suffering of Job has led him to ponder the absence of God at this point in his life. Life has become inhospitable to him. It does not feel like a home. He is pondering God, of course, but he is also pondering his life experience. Absence is more powerful than is presence, fullness, meaning, and purpose. We do well to ponder this tension in our experience. Since reality is “becoming” and is thus never fully “there,” all we have is the fleeting trace of presence and the possibility that absence is more a part of life than we care to admit. Friends may be absent at a critical moment in our lives. We may be absent to ourselves and feel lost and alone, adrift at sea, with no guiding light. It may well be that any guiding light we thought we saw was only an illusion. 

Martin Luther was working at home one day. He had been deeply depressed for days. His wife entered the room wearing black, a sign of mourning. She began closing the house, drawing the blinds, tiptoeing about until her husband asked, “Is someone dead?”’ She replied, “Yes! Do you not know? God is dead!” Martin Luther understood. If he was the man of God he presented himself to be, there was no reason for his despondency. 

Then Job answered: ² “Today also my complaint is bitter[1]; the hand of God is heavy despite my groaning.[2] ³ In 3:24, the sigh of Job is like his bread, and his groaning is like his water. Oh, that I knew where I might find God, so that I might come even to the dwelling (or judgment seat) of God! Do you not love this verse? It is hard to spar with an invisible fighting partner. He wants to go to the house of God and give God a piece of his mind. Job wants to storm heaven itself if necessary in order to contend with God. Many people groan at that statement. Job faced severe torment, and not just physical pain and grief. This good man, who never knowingly, intentionally hurt a soul, this splendid citizen, this faithful person in his religion, now finds that in the darkest moment of his life he cannot find God. What a travesty his religion must have seemed to him. ⁴ I would lay my case before God, and fill my mouth with arguments (the reasoning we find in a lawsuit). ⁵ I would learn what God would answer me, and understand what God would say to me. ⁶ Would Godcontend with me in the greatness of divine power? No; but God would give heed to me. If Job could have such a hearing, it would not be a one-way experience. It would be a mutual hearing. God would not overpower Job. Rather, Job would hear and understand God, and God would listen and pay attention to him. Although Job has a contentious argument with God, he wants a hearing before God. ⁷ There an upright person (a person of integrity) could reason[3] with God, and my judge would acquit me forever. A fair trial would vindicate Job. After all, he is a person of integrity rather than one who deserves suffering due to his unrighteousness, as his friends argue. As readers, we know from Chapter 2 that his suffering comes from the arbitrary actions of God. Job believes he would win his case, even though God is both his judicial adversary and his judge. In Job 9:32-33, Job expresses his frustration that God is not mortal so that they could face each other in the courtroom. Not can be the umpire between God and Job. ⁸ “If I go forward, God is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive God; ⁹ on the left God hides, and I cannot behold God; I turn to the right, but I cannot see God.[4] Job cannot bring his case before God because God keeps hiding from him. Since God is hiding, no matter where Job searches he cannot find God. He cannot find his judicial adversary or the judge, so he cannot have the trail for which he longs to have. Without God, he can have no case before the court. Job stresses that it is hard to spar with an invisible fighting partner. It does not seem like a fair fight. God knows where Job is. Job does not where God is. Job cannot hide from God. An interesting connection is with Psalm 139:7-10, where the author, with trust and assurance says that he cannot escape the Spirit and presence of the Lord. He can ascend to heaven or descend to Sheol, and the Lord is there. If he went to the farthest limits of the sea, the hand of the Lord will lead and strengthen him. 

In verses 13-14, for now, God will not listen. God will do what God wants, with no input from Job. 

Every one of us who have personal tragedy can understand this poor man saying, ¹⁶ God has made my heart faint; the Almighty (shaddai[5]) has terrified me. Job has a profound sense of holy terror before Almighty God. He stands in awe or dread. In spite of that experience, he wants to engage God in the courtroom. In spite of it all, Job wants to engage God in courtroom fight, fair or not. He expects to win, even if he imperils himself by being so bold. What an intimate, enigmatic, terrifying relationship with God! We may think we have “tamed” God in our world today. However, Job knew the untamable God, and chose to wrangle with God anyway. ¹⁷ If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face! Yet, a part of Job would like to disappear rather than have a direct encounter with God. He wants to engage God in battle and hide from God. Job wants to hide from God in the darkness, but realizes he cannot do so. It seems God can see in the dark. God hides from Job, but Job has no way of hiding from God. Again, note the contrast of tone with Psalm 139:11-12, where the writer admits that even if he becomes so discouraged that he thinks darkness covers him, and the light around him seems like night, the darkness is like light to the Lord. Such trustful confidence the psalmist had does not describe the experience Job is having. In any case, most people who have taken their walk with God seriously will testify to dark places in the journey. Yet, could it be that the darkness is part of our training for the tasks and the mission God has for us? Even our fears can train us to meet the challenges of life. The key is not to surrender to darkness and fear. We prefer the moments of sun, happiness, health, and success. Yet, most of us have learned much in the treasures contained in the darkness and in the fear. Darkness and fear will pass, but what one learns through them for their journey and mission in life will last.[6]  

What do we miss by not discovering the terrifying holy majesty and might of God? Moreover, what do we miss by choosing to avoid wrestling with the Almighty because of our fears? God is “big enough to take it”; on the occasion that we might go too far, God will let us know when to back off, as with our biblical forebears. Nevertheless, given the biblical examples, Almighty God welcomes our own spirited interaction. Such a person is taking seriously, indeed. Unlike the practical atheism many of the people of God seem to have.

Arguing with God has many biblical parallels. Many of the poets/psalm-writers show such holy boldness. As do such biblical folks as Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Jeremiah. Abraham, in Genesis 18:16-33, asks God to have mercy on the people of Gomorrah and Sodom (where his nephew Lot and his family resided), if only even a few were righteous there. Moreover, God considers Abraham a worthy challenger, even filling him in on the divine plans and going tête-à-tête with him for several rounds. Jacob wrestles with God (Genesis 32:24-32) at Peniel (“the face of God”). Moses also goes up against God, on more than one occasion. For example, see Exodus 32:7-14, where Moses objects energetically to God’s planned destruction of the people of Israel, for their idolatry; and God listened. Jeremiah the prophet frequently complained boldly to God. Nevertheless, God kept him on as prophet. 

Not surprisingly, some of God’s people through the centuries follow their example. See Elie Wiesel’s Night (p. 65, 1982 Bantam edition), where he says (with reference to God’s non-intervention during the horrors of the Holocaust), “I was the accuser, God the accused.” 

Have you ever felt that God was letting you down and that you had nowhere to complain. In our modern experience, our dominant experience of God may be one of distance and absence.[7] Thus, as modern as we are, we can identify with the ancient figure of Job. Yet, for us, the roles in the courtroom have reversed. Job viewed himself as the accused. For us, God is the accused, and we are the judge and prosecutor. Does God have a reasonable defense for making and permitting a world of so much war, poverty, and disease? We are ready for God to answer our questions. We are in the judge’s bench, and God has the right to offer a defense. We might even acquit God, if God has a good answer.[8]

Early in 2015, Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne interviewed the English comedian and actor Stephen Fry, who is a self-declared atheist. At one point, Byrne said to Fry, "Suppose it's all true, and you walk up to the pearly gates, and God confronts you. What will Stephen Fry say?" Fry responded, "Bone cancer in children; what's that about? How dare you? How dare you create a world where there is such misery that's not our fault?" He then added a second question: "Why should I respect a ... God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain?" They posted that segment of the interview on YouTube, where, within days, it received five million views.  Not surprisingly, the responses to the clip ranged from admiration to anger, with the head of Ireland's Presbyterian Church branding Fry as "spiritually blind." Fry later apologized for any offense he might have caused and said he was not referring to any specific religion. He explained that he was merely saying things that many better thinkers than he was had said over the centuries. 

You can form your own opinion about Fry as a thinker, but he did synchronize with many people when he said he would question why God did certain things we mortals do not like. 

Many of us have likely had similar thoughts. Just imagine that some force could transport you to heaven for an hour to talk face to face with God -- with the assurance that God would answer one question for you. What question would you ask? Perhaps, you would want to toss around one of these questions:

- Why am I suffering from pancreatic cancer? 

- Why are some of us capable of child abuse? 

- Why can't we have wisdom when we are young and would really benefit from it? 

- Why the earthquakes in Nepal?

- Why the evil and brutality of ISIS?

- Why the unending conflict in the Middle East?

- Why do you allow the Boko Harum to kill hundreds of innocent women and girls?

- Why the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide or the Khmer Rouge slaughter of millions? 

 

I doubt if I could find a limit to the questions we would like to ask God. Our questions do not come from idle curiosity. Many of us are experiencing some pain or grief common to the human condition. We have a personal investment in the questions we would ask. We think answers from God might help us deal with what we cannot avoid.

 If you watch the Fry video clip,[9] he speaks with passion and personal anger. He sounds a little like what we might imagine Job sounding like. Suffering often makes us puzzle about God. 

Attention to suffering can increase understanding of the situation. Stephen Covey tells of an unusual experience on the New York subway. While people were sitting quietly in the car, a man entered with his noisy and rambunctious children. The man sat down and closed his eyes as though he were oblivious to his rowdy children. The once quiet subway car was now a disturbing place of chaos. The children’s inappropriate behavior was obvious to everyone except their father. Finally, Covey confronted the man about his children. The man opened his eyes and evaluated the situation as if he was unaware of all that had transpired.  “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what to think, and I guess they don’t know how to handle it either.”

Our discussion of such matters will not answer our questions. No answer exists in our world. Thus, we need to patient toward the unsolved questions of our hearts. We need to love the questions with which we live. Demanding answers today from questions that have no answers today is fruitless. We might not even be able to live with the answers! We need to live the questions, and in the process, without noticing lit, we live into the answer.[10] We will need to live with enough faith to keep moving forward. For Christians, we need a simple reminder. Jesus did not conduct a seminar on why suffering, death, evil, and injustice exist in the world. Rather, he brought healing, liberation, and hope of life in the rule of God. In fact, he allowed evil to do its worst to him, allowing God to work a power in which he emerged with new life.[11]

I am going to say something here that may be difficult to hear. The story of Job is a story of the tests that we might encounter in our lives. They are tests of who we are and desire to be. What is your character? Job, you think of yourself as a servant of the Lord. However, are you such, when times become tough? Will you persevere to the end and pass the test? Job is the one going through the test of whether he will trust God, regardless of the circumstances. 

In the end then, Job’s story is a faith story. I want to mention a few things that we can learn about faith in Job. For one thing, we might generally describe faith as a movement toward God that goes beyond evidence and reason, but not in a different direction from reason and evidence. Faith will always require us to make commitments of which we are not completely sure of the outcome. Some truths do not disclose themselves to us until we commit ourselves to them.[12]Another dimension of faith is that from the perspective of Job, he can trust God only in direct opposition to the evidence of his present experience of life. Judging only from the evidence, he could conclude that there is no God, that God hates him, or that God is evil. Yet though his presence experience tests his faith, it survives, and without supporting evidence. Thus, even though God were to kill him, he will trust in God (Job 13:15). It may well that faith opens the way for a deeper experience of God. Yes, faith will have, at times, a warm feeling accompanying it. Yet, faith may also be the perception of an outline of meaning even in troubled times, when one can see no evidence for it.

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[1] The Hebrew text says “rebellious” (as NJB) or “rebellion” (as NASB), instead of “bitter” (NRSV, from ancient translations).

[2] The LXX Greek word is used also in Romans 8:26, where the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs/groans too deep for words.

[3] The same verbal root as Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us argue it out [RSV has “reason together”], says the LORD….”

[4] Our own physical and mental maps have a north-orientation. The mental maps of the people of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible had an east-orientation (with their backs to the Mediterranean Sea, they faced east): So, in verse 8, the “forward” and “backward” can mean “east” and “west” respectively. And in verse 9, the “left” and “right” can mean “north” and “south” respectively. Verse 9b would be better translated (with the Hebrew), “He turns (not “I turn”) to the right, and I cannot see him.”

[5] The word is quite prominent in Job, appearing 31 times — including 22:3, 17, 23, 25, 26; also 24:1; just 17 other times in the Hebrew Bible.)

[6] --Leslie Weatherhead, Prescription for Anxiety (Hodder & Stoughton, 1956), 32.

[7] The 20th-century poet W.H. Auden once said that “Our dominant experience of God today is of God’s absence, of his distance.”

[8] C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock. The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. [Man] is the judge: God is in the dock. [Man] is quite a kindly judge: If God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that Man is on the Bench and God is in the Dock.

[9] The Link: youtube.com/watch?v=-suvkwNYSQo Time: 2:24 The Content: Stephen Fry can't believe in a God who creates bone cancer in children.

[10] The poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) said: 

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers which cannot be given you, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

[11] N. T. Wright, Simply Good News (SPCK, 2015).

[12] William James