Saturday 22 March 2008
- Bible Book:
- Job
"As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up, so mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more they will not awake... If mortals die, will they live again? All the days of my service I would wait until my release should come". (v.11-12, 14)
Background
The story of Job comes in a lengthy poem which grapples with theproblem of undeserved pain and evil. Job is a good and righteousman who is smitten with disease and loses his family and all hehas. Job's friends (sometimes referred to as Job's comforters) tryto persuade him that he must have done something wrong to deservesuch treatment, but Job knows that he doesn't deserve what ishappening and wrestles with the issues.
In the end, Job simply rests his questioning and pain in the senseof God's greatness and glory.
Holy Saturday is a kind of 'limbo' in between the darkness of GoodFriday (with the crucifixion of Jesus) and the celebration we knowis coming with the resurrection on the morning of Easter Sunday.But Jesus' disciples didn't know the resurrection was coming, andso using this passage from Job's despondent prayer may help us toremember just what it is like to face utter disappointment.
Knowing the whole story of Jesus from a post-resurrectionstandpoint sometimes leads us to leap over the nasty bits to thejoyful conclusion. But to appreciate fully the joyful conclusionrequires taking the nasty bits seriously. Easter is not yethere.
The emptiness, desolation and aimless waiting around of HolySaturday is part of understanding God's way. In the poem, Jobrecognises his lack of understanding and simply opens himself toGod's presence.
To Ponder
Reflect on a time of utter disappointment, eitheryour own or someone close to you.
How much time do you give to being open to God'spresence without trying to answer all the questions? How easy is itto avoid busyness?
How should we respond to the question "Where wasGod?" when disasters overtake innocent people?