The story of Job is fascinating. Job suffers the loss of family, possessions, and health and is reduced to sackcloth and ash. His friends see his great pain and initially just sit with him quietly. However, in true human fashion they get uncomfortable with the silence and can’t help but open their big mouths and offer explanations for his plight. The suffering that Job experienced is not unique and continues to be an ever-present problem in our day and age. I would even argue that suffering has been the core problem for humankind ever since man began pulling weeds and women cried out in pain during childbirth. The rest of history has been nothing but the repeated attempts of humans to right themselves from their tragic Fall.
While pain is an important physical reminder that something is wrong, suffering is the existential response to a pain that has outlived its usefulness. Interestingly, once pain has become suffering we seek remedies not from the physical world but the spiritual. What if we update this story and have Job suffer at the gate of the marketplace of religious ideas? Everyone who wants to trade their spiritual wares must walk by the suffering Job. What will they offer him? Will they callously walk by and do business with the well-to-do or will they bend over and offer Job some help?
The Atheists tells him that #$%@ happens but if it makes him feel better he can blame those inside who traffic in religious ideas.
The Hindu tells him that what goes around comes around. Clearly he brought this upon himself. Grin and bear it and hope for a better next life.
The Buddhist tells him he loved too much, he desired too much, he valued this world too much. He needs to detach and dissolve.
The New-ager tells him he was too negative during his life and things will turn around once he begins thinking happy thoughts.
Jesus walks up and sits down beside him. They compare scars and exchange stories of the cruelty and pain they experienced during their lives. Job’s questions about God’s justice melt away as he sits side-by-side with the One acquainted with grief.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53: 3-5)
In the original story, Job eventually meets with God and discusses his series of unfortunate events. The answer God gave Job was primarily a recitation of His creational resume. When confronted with God’s power and majesty, Job realized that what was missing in his search for wisdom was the proper fear of the Lord. In my updated story, Job once again meets with God but now as the incarnate Jesus, and instead of being brought to his knees by the height of God’s majesty, he is humbled by the depths of His condescension. The Old Testament reveals the glorious fullness of God so that we can understand the degree He emptied Himself in the New Testament. Stunningly, the Author of life became death for us.
Christianity is unique because it tells us that not only do we never suffer alone but the One who suffers with us is the God of the universe. Atheism says we will be compost, Hinduism offers a do-over, Buddhism offers dissolution, New Age offers happy thoughts. Jesus, however, touches us with his scarred hands, pulls us close to his pierced side, and whispers in our ears that we will be with Him in paradise.
Photo by Jonathan Rados on Unsplash
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