Job 8.1-22, John 4.27-45 - Lectionary for 2/12/10

Today's readings are Job 8.1-22 and John 4.27-45.

Eliphaz has spoken, calling Job someone with secret sin or some sort of a fool.  Job has answered, showing that he is troubled by the unfounded accusations and that he wishes God would give him a sense of purpose.  Now Bildad speaks.  Let's try to follow what Bildad has to say.  He first says that Job is a blustering fool.  Job has accused God of wrongdoing.  Job's children were sinners and have received the reward for their sinful life.  Job is also clearly receiving the reward for his sinful life.  If he repents well enough God will restore Job, but he'd better hurry.  We don't have much time, so we need to do our repenting really well and really fast.  If we have struggles in this life it is obviously because we have failed to trust in God.  If we trust in God we will flourish on the earth.

It seems that the "prosperity gospel" people have taken a page out of Bildad's book.  They immediately assign our lack of faith as the cause of all struggles we might have.  There's a seed of truth in there, which is what makes it dangerous.  Is all suffering a result of sin?  On one level, yes.  If it were not for Adam's sin, passed on through the generations, we would have no suffering.  Ultimately, all suffering is a result of sin.  But all suffering is not a result of personal sin which we individually committed.  All suffering is not relieved by our repentance.  All suffering is not a penalty from God against us.  There are a lot of reasons for suffering.  Some of it even comes upon us for the simple purpose of guarding us from entering into sin or to redirect us Godward.  We should not be too quick to assign a cause for all our suffering.

So what do we do?  Do we decide we have no need for repentance?  No, that would be to assume our righteousness, flying in the face of passages such as Romans 3, where we are shown that we all sin.  Rather, let us live a life of repentance, but let it be repentance that bears fruit in trust in God.  As we live a life of repentance for the sin we are aware of we will see that our Lord is trustworthy to care for us, in hardship and in comfort.  He remains the faithful Lord who is working all things out in his people for their ultimate good.