Today’s first reading is from the book of Job. This book is long and complicated but rich in meaning and relevance. This book is like a parable of Jesus. It tells a story not necessarily historical to teach us about God and the ways of God. In this inspired book God gives us not only permission but even the words to argue with him. Do we think God is being unfair? We can use Job’s words to fight it out with God. Ultimately God asks us to place our trust and hope in him, but he also allows us for some 40 chapters to “talk back” or “fight it out” with God. In the book God rejects the seemingly pious but ultimately trite answers of Job’s so-called friends.
Today’s reading begins with a scene in the heavenly court. The figure of Satan in this book is not a demonic figure but more like a prosecuting attorney. God boasts that Job is “blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.” Satan prosecutes his case against Job, accusing him of acting out of his own self-interest:
“Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face.”
We need to remember that this is a parable or a story meant to teach us religious truth. It is not a factual description of God tempting Job by placing an impossible burden on his shoulders. James tells us in his Epistle that God temps no one.
“No one experiencing temptation should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13).
God does not tempt us and even allows us to challenge him and to cry out to him:
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.” (Psalm 22:2-3).
Like the book of Job this Psalm not only gives us permission to “talk back” to God but even gives us the words to use. God only asks that after we challenge and question him, we also trust in him. God does not tempt us or place impossible burdens on our shoulders to see how we will bear up. Pope Francis explains how we should interpret the Our Father: “the line ‘lead us not into temptation’ was not a good translation.” The Pope suggests, “do not let us fall into temptation” as an alternative. He goes on to explain: “I’m the one who falls. But it’s not (God) who pushes me into temptation to see how I fall. No, a father does not do this. A father helps us up immediately.” So, we need to be careful how we read and interpret the book of Job. We need to remember what St. James and Pope Francis teach: “God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
Image: “Job the Just” by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.