Job 2,1-13 1623
Invocavit 25
Nestor, Bishop of Sida in Pamphylia, Turkey. Martyr 250 (Emperor Decius’ persecution 249-51)
26. Februar 2023
1. ℣ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer Him:
℟ I will deliver him and honor him (Psalm 91,15).
O Christ Jesus, Thou First-born of all creation; command Your angels to guard us in all our ways, so that they will bear us up and protect us from the evil one. Amen. (Psalm 91,11-12 Gradual).
2. »Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them to present himself before Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Satan: „From where have you come?“ Satan answered Yahweh and said: „From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.“ And Yahweh said to Satan: „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? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without reason.“ Then Satan answered Yahweh and said: „Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face.“ And Yahweh said to Satan: „Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.“ So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him: „Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.“ But he said to her: „You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive calamity?“ In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground 7 days and 7 nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.«
3. On Wednesday of last week, the Church transitioned from the season of Gesima to the season of Lent. During Lententide we reflect more intensely on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, meditate upon our sinfulness and repent of our wickedness. Invocavit is the 1. Sunday in Lent and the theme is temptation. We hear how Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to sin; thousands of years later he failed in tempting Jesus to sin. Paul reminds us that Christians endure trials and tribulations on account of their faith in Christ.
4. In today’s sermon text we hear about the temptation of Job. Yahweh describes him as a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. The opening chapters of the book describe a contest between God and Satan over Job. Satan believes that he can break Job and get him to curse God, but God is confident that Job will stand fast in his faith. God gives Job unto the hand of Satan who proceeds to unleash devastating tribulations upon Job: he loses his wealth, his children and his health; his friends and family give him awful or irrelevant advice. Throughout his tribulations, Job did not sin or accuse God of wrong/wickedness (Job 1,22 mas/lxx).
5. When we examine ourselves in light of Job we realize that we would be sorely tempted to give up and reject God for even a fraction of what Job suffered and endured. We see it in the lives of people who likewise renounce God when any suffering befalls them. But Job is grounded upon his this truth: we receive good from God; shall we not receive calamity from Him? Such a profound statement is almost unheard of in the 21. century when people speak of God; people are loathe to equate adversity and affliction to God.
6. Nevertheless, we see good and calamity from God impacting Job in our sermon text, Jesus in our Gospel pericope and even throughout the course of our lives. Like Job, we often do not know why God’s hand is upon us with calamity. Job exemplifies what Martin Luther called the theology of the cross: God’s power and wisdom are often revealed in unexpected or paradoxical ways, particularly through suffering and weakness. Job did not know at the time why he suffered, yet he humbled himself before God and trusted in His merciful steadfast love.
7. Jesus also suffered and was tempted, however Jesus did know why He suffered. He humbled Himself to these sufferings and temptations. He knew His Heavenly Father is gracious. Jesus suffered on our behalf. Jesus was tempted for us. Jesus overcame the temptation in our place. Where we doubt God and yield to temptation, Jesus trusted God and overcame temptation. All this was preparation for His suffering upon the cross where as our vicarious sacrifice Jesus paid for our sin. The cross is the ultimate expression of God’s merciful steadfast love. Before all the world, God the Father boasts: »Have you considered My Son, Jesus, that there is none like Him on the earth, a blameless and upright Man, who fears Me and turns away from evil?«
8. God’s glory, love and mercy is revealed in the crucified Christ. Paul proclaimed: »The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block/scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God« (1. Corinthians 1,18.23-24).
9. Job is a powerful reminder of the mystery and complexity of our suffering. Some times we comprehend it, but often we do know know why or how we suffer. God even uses suffering to work together for good in our lives and to glorify His Name (Romans 8,28). Jesus knows the human toll suffering brings upon a person for He Himself suffered as we do. God also provides relief. Job did not suffer for the rest of his life, but it was intense tribulation for at least several months (Job 7,3-4). Soon God restored his health, fortune and family. Jesus was ministered to by the angels after His temptations. God does the same for us.
10. We have the comfort of His Word. »Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all« (Psalm 34,18-19). »Yahweh heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds« (Psalm 147,3). »Cast all your anxieties on God, because He cares for you« (1. Peter 5,7).
11. Ash Wednesday begins Lent by telling us that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Suffering and death are our sinful lot and curse. But we recall that God made Adam from the dirt of the ground. God will resurrect us who have returned to dust. The Prophet Ezekiel vividly speaks of this: »Thus says Yahweh God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live« (Ezekiel 37,5). This is the centerpiece of Jesus’ ministry as the Christ: the Son of Man will suffer, die and live again. Jesus will resurrect us who suffer and die. Jesus’ dwelling place shall be with us; He is our God, and we are His people (Ezekiel 37,27). The final word of G is that we are blessed with eternal life.
12. Abide, O Lord, Christ Jesus
Among us with Your grace,
That Satan may not harm us
Nor his cunning give place. (Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade elkg 276,1 2021 Josua Stegmann 1627).
This is most certainly true.
13. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.
14. Let us pray. O God, whose holy and beloved Son chose to be born as we are born, to live as we live, to suffer as we suffer and to be tempted in all points like as we are, strengthen us both by His example and by His helping hand that in the multitude of our temptations we may be found like Him, without sin. Amen. (Invocavit, Vespers Collect 1. The Daily Office.)
To God alone be the Glory
Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm
✠
All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2021 Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, Hannover.
The Daily Office. Copyright © 1965 Concordia Publishing House.
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