Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC)

For the text of the readings go the end of the sermon.

Job is in misery. He has lost everything; flock, family, and health. Three friends come and sit with him in silence for a week. Job and his three friends are sages, wisdom teachers. An ancient and widely shared tradition from Egypt to Mesopotamia, wisdom encompassed the best science of the day. Sages observed the natural world, attempting to understand humans and the gods from the operation of nature. The book of Job, along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and several of the Psalms are products of wisdom sages in the Old Testament. Remember that the book of James in the New Testament is also a wisdom text.

After a week of silence, Job opens his mouth. What he says offends his friends so much that they begin arguing with Job. Most of the rest of the book of Job comprises a poetic cycle of speeches by Job followed by angry responses from each of his sage friends. We catch a glimpse of the debate and Job’s misery in today’s lesson. Job’s speech is in the second the cycle of speeches.

Job, responding to one of his friends’ objections that Job deserves these trials, protests that he is not guilty. Job has done nothing wrong. Job has nothing from which to repent. Therefore, Job is suffering unjustly. Worse, God is silent, as if afraid of Job. But if God would just show up Job would prove that his suffering is unjust and God’s silence is unwarranted.

Job’s friends rebuke him for his self-justification. According to the best wisdom of the day, so they assert, he is deceiving himself. Those who live ethically and morally fit into the natural order of things and God blesses them. Those who suffer, suffer because they have misused their lot in life, they have abused others, or they have despoiled God’s natural order. “Repent, Job, and admit your guilt.”

Job’s suffering is unbearable. He tries to muster his hope but cannot help his utter despair. Finally he cries out that he wishes deep darkness would cover him. If only the hand that separated the waters of creation would just let them roll back over him! It’s as if he cries out, “I wish I’d never been born.” Job is in hell sitting there in the company of his friends!

The wisdom of the sages was supposed to inform and inspire life. At the heart of wisdom traditions are proverbs. We read from Proverbs a couple of weeks ago in the context of our readings from James. While Proverbs might not be the most popular of biblical books, it’s contents surely are familiar.. Yet, we don’t have to rummage through the bible to find the only proverbs; we have proverbs closer to our time. In fact, I’ll bet you can complete these:
God helps those who...
An apple a day keeps...
All work and no play makes Jack...
Many hands make...
but what about this?
Too many hands spoil...

Many hands make light work. Too many hands spoil the broth. What gives? Sometimes proverbs seem mutually contradictory. How many hands are enough? How many are too much? Search the book of Proverbs and you’ll find equally puzzling proverbs. The point is that proverbs are statements that at the superficial level appear obvious, but upon second glance are designed to make us think. They are designed to make us look deeper into nature, including human nature.

So the wisdom of the sages sought to understand human life and behavior within the order of creation. But when proverbs become timeless answers, they become hardened platitudes. Job’s friends respond to Job’s anguish with such certainty that they leave no room for mystery. And the platitudes of Job’s sagely friends literally drive Job into hell!

Proverbs challenge unquestioned assumptions. Platitudes construct categories of certainties. When life is simple and uncomplicated, these platitudes might be okay. But in suffering and trial, when life seems to be crumbling and our certainties falling away, platitudes isolate humanity behind walls of someone else’s confidence.

The reading from Hebrews, while not from the wisdom tradition, highlights how suffering opens us to the opportunities for reflection, not certainties. The author’s congregation has been enduring hardship. Very possibly a Jewish group following the way of Jesus, their central object of Jewish identity, the temple, has been destroyed. Nevertheless, the temple and temple system continues to inspire their vision and hopes. It’s likely that these Jewish Jesus people have endured hardships because of their devotion to Jesus’ way. Some are wondering if they’d made the right decision. Maybe they were mistaken. Maybe Jesus was not all that he was cracked up to be! Maybe it’s time to return to their former ways.

The author proclaims an innovative image of Jesus and his resurrection. Far from being a mistake, Jesus embodied the high priestly function of ministering the atonement of Yom Kippur. Jesus‘ obedient death and resurrection usher him into God’s presence on our behalf and the sabbath rest of God is now open to us (see Hebrews chapter 3). Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness and we’ll receive help in our time of need.

Here’s the point. The author presented an innovative and provocative image of Jesus to inspire his confused congregation to ponder and reconsider who they are and what’s important. “Jesus is our high priest.” “Jesus is our sacrifice.” “Jesus is for us.” How can be high priest and sacrifice? Like proverbs, these images of Jesus as high priest are designed to inspire Christians to think in new ways about Christ and their lives together following in the way of Christ.

But over the years and centuries these images of Jesus are no longer innovative. They no longer are new and provocative. They rarely foster deep reflection but are presented as universal certainties or historical verities. As such, Jesus has become a platitude. And so, the popular bumper sticker announces, “Jesus is the answer.” But do we even know the question! And when Jesus is the quick and ready answer, like Job’s friends, we can send the suffering friend into her own silent hell of agony.

Platitudes, religious or otherwise, often leave our suffering friends in the agony of their own isolation. Literally, they go to hell with platitudes! There in the misery of their own suffering creation ceases to be the source of wonder. Instead, it becomes the mocking reality of the chaos they must endure. There in their misery they cry out against the gods who refuse to hear them. There, they ache for the wise friends who need not answer their cries, because there are no answers! But they like Job of old are prepared to wait and hope even when hope eludes them. And in the mystery of the silence the winds blow and hope will yet again rekindle. God’s voice, ever erupting in creation’s mystery, will be heard. Will we be ready, be wise enough to wait with them in silence?

Amen.

(Both of the Scripture quotations below are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.)

Job 23:1-9, 16-17
1 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!

Hebrews 4:12-16
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.