In Job 22, Eliphaz steps up his accusations of Job, accusing him of multiple serious shortcomings, such as exacting pledges of your brothers without cause, stripping the naked of their clothing, and withholding water from the weary. After railing this way for some time, he tells Job God will show mercy if he turns from all this. Obviously, none of Job’s friends are hearing any of his responses or, if they are, they aren’t buying into his innocence, or his thinking that only God has the right to accuse him.
Job responds again in Job 23 and 24. First, he talks about the inapproachability of God, and then he turns once again to how the wicked tend to prosper. While the topics are the same, Job isn’t being repetitive for the sake of it. He has been worn down by the duration of his loss and suffering. Day after day he wakes up in pain, or has spent another restless night. He knows he hasn’t caused these problems through sin, because he hasn’t sinned.
In Job 25, Bildad offers a brief retort that is not a personal attack on Job. Rather he asks the question, “How can anyone be righteous before God?” He points out that the light is not bright in God’s presence, so how could a man have any hope of being righteous? Bildad’s point is well-taken, yet we will soon see God is on Job’s side, and not on Bildad’s.
As we return to Matthew 19, the Pharisees come to Jesus once again to test Him. This time they ask questions about divorce. Jesus reaffirms the Genesis 1-2 position that God created marriage between a man and a woman in the fabric of creation. When the Pharisees pointed out that Moses permitted a man to divorce his wife, Jesus responded that was because of human hardness of heart, and not because God intended it that way. The disciples sided at least partially with the Pharisees, pointing out if marriage is a permanent situation, it would be better not to marry. Jesus noted that His teaching was a hard one and that not everyone could accept it. That does not mean it isn’t true for everyone, but only that some wouldn’t accept it.
Next, parents brought their children for Jesus to bless. The disciples thought this was a waste of time, but Jesus rebuked the disciples for such an attitude, and blessed the children, showing us once again how important children were to Him.
The closing episode in the chapter is the account of Jesus’ interaction with the rich young man, who wanted to know what to do to inherit eternal life. While the man told Jesus he had followed the Law of Moses since he was a child, but when Jesus challenged him to give away all his money to the poor, and gain riches in heaven, and then to come follow Him, the man went away sad. He couldn’t part with his wealth. Jesus told the disciples it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This was news to them, and even in our day, the idea that having wealth is an impediment to following Jesus is hard to swallow. Jesus pointed out that all who make financial sacrifices or relational sacrifices for Him in this life will b rewarded many times over in the next. The question for us is always whether we are willing to give up the things we cannot keep (material blessings and relationships) to gain what we cannot lose (a deeper and permanent relationship with Jesus here and now and for eternity)!