Reflections on Job 2:13
Job's friends have heard about the devastation being wrought on him. So they pack and make a journey to Job's house. As they come down Job's road, they see a man covered in boils and sitting in sackcloth ( a garment of mourning). They don't even recognize their friend. When they realize that Job is the sad and defeated man, they come along side him. Job's friends then come and sit beside him on the ground. They sit their for an entire week. Because Job's sorrow is so great, there are no words for the tragedies that Job has encountered. But they stay. Job's friends stay along side him.
Job's friends knew his distress was great. That there was nothing to say in the face of that kind of sorrow. So they sit with him, in silence. What a lesson for us! We who always have the platitude or the soundbite ready. Who can search on our phones for the perfect Bible verse to offer comfort. Because sometimes there are not words. Most of the time there are not words. Our greatest tool of comfort is to simply be there. By letting our friend lean on our shoulders because there's are to weary from sorrow to hold up anymore.
In the hush of the ICU. In the quiet of the funeral parlor. At the doorway to the living room where a marriage has ended. At the gates of the cemetery. This is how we can be to the church to a hurting world. Not with our words, but with our silent presence.
At the beginning of the summer, I began one of those read thru the Bible in a year programs. At my current rate I'll probably be done by the end of 2023. But as of right now, I read the second chapter of Job as today's readings.
The first chapter of Job shows us a glimpse of how our enemy Satan desires to destroy us. How he loves nothing more than for us to stop praising God. Satan challenges God that Job, a most devout believer in God, will no longer love God if God starts taking away all of Job's blessings. God believes that Job will still be a faithful follower. So God allows Satan to destroy all of Job's earthly possessions, and Job's children. Job is devastated but continues to praise God.
Next, Satan says to God, I bet Job will stop praising you if you let me afflict him physically. So God allows it. And Job continues to praise God even though his entire body is covered in boils. Job scratches his body with a shard of pottery. That's how much the boils are aggravating Job's physical body. Job's wife says why don't you curse God and then die? At least you'll be out of your misery. But Job persists in being faithful to God. To continue to praise God even thru this physical torment.
Next, Satan says to God, I bet Job will stop praising you if you let me afflict him physically. So God allows it. And Job continues to praise God even though his entire body is covered in boils. Job scratches his body with a shard of pottery. That's how much the boils are aggravating Job's physical body. Job's wife says why don't you curse God and then die? At least you'll be out of your misery. But Job persists in being faithful to God. To continue to praise God even thru this physical torment.
Job's friends have heard about the devastation being wrought on him. So they pack and make a journey to Job's house. As they come down Job's road, they see a man covered in boils and sitting in sackcloth ( a garment of mourning). They don't even recognize their friend. When they realize that Job is the sad and defeated man, they come along side him. Job's friends then come and sit beside him on the ground. They sit their for an entire week. Because Job's sorrow is so great, there are no words for the tragedies that Job has encountered. But they stay. Job's friends stay along side him.Job's friends knew his distress was great. That there was nothing to say in the face of that kind of sorrow. So they sit with him, in silence. What a lesson for us! We who always have the platitude or the soundbite ready. Who can search on our phones for the perfect Bible verse to offer comfort. Because sometimes there are not words. Most of the time there are not words. Our greatest tool of comfort is to simply be there. By letting our friend lean on our shoulders because there's are to weary from sorrow to hold up anymore.
In the hush of the ICU. In the quiet of the funeral parlor. At the doorway to the living room where a marriage has ended. At the gates of the cemetery. This is how we can be to the church to a hurting world. Not with our words, but with our silent presence.
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