Suffering Friends

Today I'll comment on our first reading. But before I do...

Read Job 2

Read 2 Samuel 2

Job has lost everything, and now even his health. Whatever we might call the affliction in our modern medical lingo, we can be sure it was a terrible disease. Open oozing sores, pain and probably itching. Job sat in ashes and scraped his body with broken pottery.

Loss of loved ones, loss of earthly wealth, and loss of health. We see it all the time, but hardly ever (if ever) do we see all if it come to one person so suddenly and terribly. And we know from Scripture that it is no fault of Job's.

Now Job has some true friends. They confer together, set a time to meet, and then go to be with Job. These friends are filled with compassion (and here we see the very best of their friendship) they sit and mourn and grieve with Job for 7 days in the dust without saying anything.

And that's the way it should have stayed, at least if they couldn't offer any words of comfort. We are going to see that they end up accusing Job of grievous sins of which he needs to repent. The problem is not that Job had no sin, but the problem was that the friends will draw a direct connection between a particular sin and this particular suffering. In so doing, they offer Job the Law when he needs the comfort of the Gospel concerning God's love and salvation. They rebuke him when he needs encouraging. They try to teach him when he needs to be lifted up.

Soon the friends will go on and on, back and forth with Job, in a heated theological discourse. Sometimes the friends will say true things about God and about Job. Many things they will get wrong. But here in chapter 2 we can learn something from these true friends.

When we see someone hurting and suffering, it is usually not the time to try to teach them, rebuke them, or give them the heavy hammer of the Law. When they are suffering and hurting, that is the time they need us to be with them, to grieve and mourn and suffer with them, to encourage them, and provide whatever comforts we can. Medicine, prayers, helping hands, food, earthly comforts, whatever we can do shows the love of Christ in us and extends that love to them.

Yes there is a time to teach and to call people to repent, but the Book of Job ought to warn us to be very careful in how we do that. When the friends sit and say nothing they get it right. When they start to speak, they only add more suffering to Job.

Let us also remember what Jesus did when he came to earth. He did not come to deal out judgment and punishment. He came to suffer with us, to wrap our broken flesh around his divine glory, and go to the cross. There was no reason for him to suffer - he had done no wrong! There was no reason, other than that he wanted to provide us comfort and peace. Yes Jesus tasted death, and overcame, that we might have ultimate comfort, now and eternally. Thanks be to God!

Ask Yourself:

In my circle of influence, who is going through great suffering?

How can I suffer with them? How can I bring comfort?

Is it time to keep my mouth shut? Is it time to open my mouth?

Pray:

Pray for those around you going through a difficult time. Ask for God's wisdom that you might discern correctly when to speak and when to act. Ask for God's strength that you might provide them comfort in their time of need. Thank God for the present and eternal comfort given to you through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Study with me tomorrow,

Pastor Jon

Soli Deo Gloria!