Recurring themes of suffering & surrender
“I have dealt with great things that I do not understand”
INTRO: Job makes his final response, confessing God's power and his own lack of knowledge. “I have dealt with great things that I do not understand,” Previously he has only heard by word of mouth, “but now my eye has seen God, Therefore, I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes.”
Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Luke 10:17-24
We have today the last chapter of the book of Job, including the Epilogue. I am sure you are familiar with the story of Job and know that it is basically a story of why bad things happen to good people. Job is a God-fearing, righteous man, blessed with wealth, seven sons, and three daughters.
Image by Stadnik
Just a quick review: God gives Satan permission to test Job, to strip him of his wealth and kill his children and servants, but Job nonetheless praises God: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
God further allows Satan to afflict Job's body with painful boils. As Job sits in the ashes of his former estate, his wife tells him to "curse God, and die,” but Job answers: "Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?"(Job 2:10)
Skipping to the 38th through 41st chapters just before today's reading, God makes two speeches with Job:
From chapter 38, God speaks from a storm. His speeches don’t explain Job's suffering, nor address divine justice. Instead, God speaks of his wisdom and power, which are altogether beyond the capacity of Job to understand. We don't know how long Job was tested or how long he suffered because that doesn't seem to be the purpose of this story. What appears to be the purpose is “how Job suffered.” Job suffered well!
Although not spelled out specifically, Job faithfully surrendered to God, remaining faithful even through the test Satan was permitted to perform on him. In the end God blessed Job's latter days more than his earlier days with double the number of livestock and he had seven sons and three daughters.
In the first six verses of today's reading, Job makes his final response, confessing God's power and his own lack of knowledge. “I have dealt with great things that I do not understand,” Previously he has only heard by word of mouth, “but now my eye has seen God, Therefore, I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job is restored to health, riches and family, and after all that he had been through Job lives 140 years to see his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but most importantly Job was restored to experience God's presence, even beyond imagination, Job is blessed with seeing God.
Now let's take a look at how Job's story compares to the seventy-two disciples returning and rejoicing that they could cast out demons because they invoked the name of Jesus. A bit proud of the power they received from Jesus, who at first rejoices with them but quickly puts them in their place, “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Our Lord corrects his disciples, making them see that the right reason for rejoicing is in the hope of reaching heaven, not in the power to do miracles. This is their greatest reward—eternal life. Another reminder for the disciples and us is found in Mt 7:22-23. Jesus said, “. . . on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'" In the eyes of God, doing his holy will at all times is more important than working miracles.
As we continue with today's Gospel reading, Jesus followed by rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, giving credit where credit was due. I am going to paraphrase this next part, Jesus said, I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wiseasses and learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.
I want to share a paragraph from the Navarre Bible: “Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility in spiritual childhood. For example, in another passage he says: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" Mt 18:3. But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness, or ignorance.
The following quote is from Jose Escriva: "I have often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with fortitude because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and firm character. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children believe, beg as children beg."
Does this sound familiar? Abandonment, Surrender a recurring theme not just here but throughout Scriptures and from Norm's Reflection last week.
The statement in verse 22, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father” is explained in the writings of St Ambrose. He wrote, "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith, because when you read "all" you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that he is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect than he; when you read ëhave been delivered to me', you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift."
This goes along perfectly with the wording in the Nicene Creed. We see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is.
Lastly in this Gospel reading Jesus privately tells the disciples, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!" Seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was obviously a wonderful thing for people who believed in him.
However, our Lord told Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (Jn 20:29)
In 1Pt 1:8-9 we read, "Without having seen him you love him; though you do not see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls."
A second recurring theme found in both of these readings: the blessing of seeing God, whether it be the Father or Jesus.