God is not playing games with our lives

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100118.cfm
Job 1:6-22
Luke 9:46-50

Assuming the role of the proverbial fly on the wall and listening to the conversation between God and Satan, would certainly not be my chosen profession if my name were Job. The discussion makes me uncomfortable just reading the script long after the incident; and my name is Steve. The problem is that the discussion sounds suspiciously like the thoughts of players during a game as they are ruminating over possibilities and considering the consequences of alternative moves.

“I wonder what would happen if I moved my queen here?”

“Will I come out ahead exchanging my knight for his bishop and then his pawn for my rook?”

“Suppose Job has to do without the things he’s counted on. What would he be like then?”

Do you see why the text makes me a bit nervous? God doesn’t play games with our lives. Or does He? Things happen and we question. Why? Why this and not that? Why him and not me? Why is my life going to hell in a hand basket? Why do I even have a hand basket? Why did Joe Jones say such a strange thing to me? Where is this going? When will this end?

Sound familiar?

Job asks a lot of these kinds of questions, some explicitly, some implicitly.

The opening verses of the book set the stage for the story that follows. We are introduced to Job's character—he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously. The Lord's praise of Job prompts an angel with the title of 'satan' ("the accuser") to suggest that Job served God simply because God protected him. So, one by one, as the story proceeds, Job loses the good things in his life: his possessions, his family, his health, his friends. It is Job’s reaction to all this as well as the instruction of his friends which compile the major portion of the text that follows. During that dialogue, major issues in the human experience are brought forth for discussion: issues of life and death and suffering, among others. As would be expected of such rich material, authors and commentators and even ordinary readers have found a treasure-hoard of issues and arguments. All are worthy of examination and discussion. I would like to highlight the one which was particularly meaningful to me. It is found early on in these verses. It is a question and it is closely related to that earlier question: Does God play games with our lives?

“Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?” asks Satan, the accuser. Is his righteousness because of his blessings or is there more to the man than that? It is this question which precipitates the events that follow. And, lest there be any misunderstanding, the alternative is made clear:

• “Have you not surrounded him and his family
  
• and all that he has with your protection?
  
• You have blessed the work of his hands,
  
• and his livestock are spread over the land.
  
• But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has,
  
• and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."
  

What follows is revealing. God does not curse Job, neither is he the source of Job’s subsequent afflictions. It is Satan, the accuser, who is allowed to do this. But why? God knows the outcome of Job’s trials. There is no speculation on God’s part as there would be with a game participant, trying to determine the next move. So, Job doesn’t have to prove what God knows to be true.

The text of the Book of Job raises lots of important questions —true food for thought — but it has never supplied me with a satisfactory answer to the central question: why does God allow it? Nevertheless, I believe the answer is there; it’s just in the person of Job rather than in the words of the text. That’s why the question: “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?” is so significant. The central issue is not God or what God allows. It is not the occurrences of evil or the source of evil. It is not about suffering or the relationship between suffering and sin. None of these matters are presented with satisfactory answers. Ultimately, the Book of Job is about Job. Is this man’s perceived righteousness due to his grasp of the purpose of his creation as opposed to the pleasantries and blessings he has enjoyed in life. To what degree and in what manner does Job fulfill the purpose of his creation?

If we leave the Book of Job for the moment, and consider the Gospel text, particularly that of John, we find Jesus re-presenting, even, in a way, reliving the story of Job. And so, the books about the Good News of Jesus are about Jesus just as the Book of Job is about Job.

There are more than hints in the Sacred Scriptures that Jesus’ life would have preferably been different from the life he lived. We can only speculate when dealing with alternative history. Nevertheless, certain elements come to the fore in imagining such a scenario.

• The Jews would have had a better understanding of the Messiah.
  
• From highest to lowest they would recognize Jesus as Lord.
  
• The new Israel would have been established as a light for the world — prosperous, and blessed and holy.
  

But that was not to be, for reasons too numerous to discuss here. So Jesus lived the life he was given — not just the life as given by God; but also the life as given by man, with all the hate and sorrow, distortions and deceptions we could muster. It is here that I believe is the meaning of Job. The turmoils and sorrows, the pleasantries and blessings are there. They are largely beyond our control and, in many ways beyond our understanding. Nevertheless, we can live lives which glorify the Father even as that means death, death on a cross.

One of many arguments had arisen between Jesus and the Pharisees. They claim greatness because they have Abraham as their father.

Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me. (John 8:54)

In other words, what I do, what I accomplish, what holiness I bring are irrelevant if they do nothing but bring me glory, for such glory is worthless. But how and why will Jesus be glorified?

“I glorified you [Father] on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do.” (John 17:4)

Jesus will be glorified by glorifying the Father no matter what life he is given to live.

So it was with Job.

So must it be with me.