Today we turn to the Book of Job, a “wisdom” book that portrays a righteous man’s suffering. In Job’s day as in times throughout history, people have believed God rewards righteous behavior and punishes sin. Throughout this book, however we will see Job suffers for no other reason than God gave Satan permission to cause him to suffer. In Job 1, we find Job was a blameless, wealthy man with a wife, seven sons and three daughters. Life couldn’t have been better for Job. Then one day as God was holding council in heaven, Satan joined the group, and God asked, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Job 1:8 (ESV) Satan’s responded that Job didn’t worship God for nothing, but that God had protected him and blessed him on every side. Satan told God Job would change his tune if all that were taken away. God then gave Satan permission to take everything away from Job, but not to harm Job. In short order, Satan caused Job to lose his entire family except for his wife, and all his material goods. Job’s response is amazing. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORDgave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 (ESV) The chapter ends with the reader being told in all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong
As we turn to chapter 2 the LORD and Satan again have a conversation about Job. The LORD once again beams about Job’s faithfulness even in his time of great loss. This time Satan responds, “Skin for skin.” In other words, if the LORD would permit Satan to take away Job’s health, he would curse God. The LORD grants permission to Satan, but he was not given permission to take away Job’s life. Satan afflicted Job with boils and unrelieved pain. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job will not. Then Job’s three “friends,” show up to “comfort” him. the friends are Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. I put the words friends and comfort in quotes, because they will demonstrate themselves as Job’s accusers shortly. As chapter two ends they sit quietly, because they Job’s affliction makes him nearly unrecognizable and they know nothing they say will make a difference.
Chapter 3 is Job’s long dissertation lamenting his birth. His suffering was so great, he stated it would have been better if he had never been born. I’m sure we have all felt his way at some point, but Job’s suffering rivals anyone’s. He had already lost all his children and belongings, and now he was in intense physical misery. His wife, Job’s only remaining family member was of no help. While the book is long and will offer us Job’s friends’ explanation for what happened, we can see up front how challenging life has already become, and we know if Job makes it through us, we will find something in his suffering to help us in ours.
As we return to Matthew 13, we find Matthew’s organization of material for ease of memorization at work as most of the chapter is dedicated to various parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus starts with the Parable of the Sower, which we found in Mark 4. Then He moves to the parable of the wheat and tares. Each of the parables in succession offers insights into the Kingdom of Heaven that are not intuitively obvious, and remind us how surprising it can be. When we reflect on the Kingdom of Heaven, we need to understand it is bigger than we can imagine, that many who think they “deserve” to be part of it won’t be, and those who think they could never enter will. The Kingdom of Heaven is a gift given to those who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, and not a reward for religious effort. Those who respond to Jesus’ salvation are not to assume that means a life without effort. Indeed, anyone would do well to give everything he has to be able to gain it!