One dies in full prosperity, being wholly at ease and secure, his loins full of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of good. They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them.
Poor Job. He’s covered with sores, his flocks and herds have died, as well as his children. His four friends join him and unfortunately, they don’t help much. They’re pretty certain that God is just, and does good things for good people and bad things to bad people. Because of this certainty, clearly Job must be a bad person as evidenced by all of the bad things happening to him. Alas, no. Job explains that he has been a good and faithful servant. Even in the midst of his woes, he utters that great line made more famous by Handel, “I know that my redeemer lives”. Job retains his faith.
He also points out that the idea that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people is patently not true. Plenty of bad people live their lives in comfort, at ease and secure, while other bad people dies with bitterness of soul. They lie down together in the dust.
There is no magic formula for what we must do to garner God’s good graces. There is no tit for tat. We are loved and cherished by God not because of anything we’ve done. Conversely, there’s nothing we can do that will result in us not being loved and cherished. We are loved not because of who we are or what we do. We are loved because of who God is, and what God does. In my tradition, we believe the bonds between us and God are indissoluble. This is good news for all of us who try to do good. I cannot blow it enough that warrants God withholding God’s love. Nothing.
The flip side is also true. God does not punish the wicked in this life. There is no quid pro quo for badness or evil. Job is not being troubled because of anything Job did. Plenty of bad people skate through this life seemingly unscathed. I know that my redeemer lives, and on the last day, God will stand and judge the earth. I don’t know what happens to the truly evil bad people, but I fully believe that it’s something that they need to account for, when they meet God.
Having bad things happen certainly is cause to question the all-loving, all-powerful God. Even Jesus did it on the cross. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? But the bonds of love are indissoluble. Job worried about what he’d done, but when pressed by his friends, he rightly pointed out that God is not interested in transactional relationships, either for our good, or for our ill. God’s grace and love is always available.
This morning, I’m thinking about the freedom in realizing that bad things really do happen in the world, without there being a causal relationship between my actions and God’s reaction. I’m not that powerful; it isn’t about me. Meanwhile, God will always be there.
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