Stephen Waller
Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B-10/03/2021
Job 1:1, 2:1-10
Psalm 26
Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-16
THEN HIS WIFE SAID TO HIM, “DO YOU STILL PERSIST IN YOUR INTEGRITY? CURSE GOD, AND DIE.” I BELIEVE SHE SAID THESE WORDS BECAUSE SHE LOVED HER SPOUSE AND DID NOT WANT TO SEE HIM SUFFER.
NONE OF US LIKES WITNESSING THE SUFFERING OF ANYONE, UNLESS WE ARE DEMENTED. SUFFERING IS A PART OF EVERY LIFE PRESENT IN THIS CHURCH THIS MORNING. IF WE HAVE NOT ALREADY SUFFERED, BE CERTAIN THAT YOUR TIME WILL COME. IT IS PART OF LIFE…TOO OFTEN A LARGE PART OF LIFE.
AND NONE OF US LIKES TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE WOULD RATHER FOCUS ONLY ON THE GOOD THINGS GOING IN LIFE AND DISMISS OUR SUFFERING AS SOME SORT OF MISTAKE. SURELY GOD HAS NOT INTENDED FOR ANY OF US TO SUFFER. SURELY GOD HAS NOT CAUSED ANY OF US TO SUFFER?
WHAT WOULD JOB SAY ABOUT THAT LAST STATEMENT, IF HE KNEW THE DEAL GOD MADE WITH SATAN.
DOES GOD CAUSE SUFFERING? DID GOD CAUSE JOB’S SUFFERING BY MAKING THE DEAL WITH SATAN? DOES GOD WORK IN THAT WAY IN OUR LIVES ALSO? THE QUESTION BEFORE US TODAY CONCERNS WHAT PART GOD PLAYS IN OUR SUFFERING..THE SUFFERING WE HAVE DONE AND THE SUFFERING WE MAY BE DOING AND THE SUFFERING WE WILL DO? WHAT PART DOES GOD PLAY IN ANY OF THIS?
SOME OF US HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH DIVORCE. SOME HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH THE BREAK UP OF A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP. SOME OF US HAVE SUFFERED WITH DEPRESSION. MOST OF US HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH THE LOSS OF SOMEONE OR SEVERAL PEOPLE (AND ANIMALS) DEAR TO US. SOME OF US SUFFER BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT ACHIEVED THE GOALS WE THOUGHT WE WOULD. SOME OF US SUFFER BECAUSE WE JUMP OFF FENCES AND BREAK OUR HEALS. OTHERS SUFFER BECAUSE THEY FALL FROM LADDERS AND BREAK THEIR LEG. OTHERS SUFFER BECAUSE THEIR BODY HAS DECIDED TO TURN ON THEM, CAUSING THEM CONSTANT PAINS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER. SOME SUFFER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE IN A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WHICH HAS YET TO HAPPEN.
SUFFERING IS SOMETHING EVERYONE OF US SHARES WITH OUR BROTHER, JOB. AS I SAID EARLIER, HIS WIFE ASKED HIM TO CURSE GOD AND DIE BECAUSE SHE LOVED HIM AND WANTED HIS SUFFERING TO END.
I AM ON HER SIDE. WHENEVER I SEE SUFFERING, I, TOO, WANT IT TO END. IT IS PAINFUL TO WATCH ANYONE SUFFER…JUST ASK ANY PARENT WITH A CHILD WHO HAS BEEN HURT IN A FALL…THEY WANT TO TAKE THE PAIN…TO KISS IT AND MAKE IT ALL BETTER. PERHAPS WE ALL WANT TO “KISS THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS” AND MAKE IT ALL BETTER.
WHEN A PRIEST GOES INTO A HOSPITAL ROOM, SHE ENTERS INTENDING TO SOAK UP SOME OF THE SUFFERING IN THAT ROOM. WE DO IT IN SEVERAL WAYS….SOME INVOLVING HOLY OIL, SOME SIMPLE TOUCH…SOME BY SIMPLY BEING PRESENT WITH THE ONE SUFFERING. BUT, OUR INTENT IS TO “KISS IT, AND MAKE IT BETTER.” WE INTEND TO TAKE AWAY THE HURT.
HOW HARD IT IS TO BE WITH ANYONE WHO IS SUFFERING! IF YOU LOOK AT JOB’S FRIENDS WHO CAME TO BE SUPPORTIVE, WE HAVE EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE OF WHAT ONE SHOULD NOT DO OR SAY…WE ALL NEED TO LEARN TO BE WITH THE WOUNDED WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF WORDS. TO BE PRESENT. SOMEHOW OUR VERY PRESENCE CAN BE A BALM FOR THE WOUNDED IF WE ARE TRULY PRESENT TO THE SUFFERING ONE.
YOU AND I WILL SUFFER AT SOME POINT IF WE HAVE NOT ALREADY. NOTHING ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN SHOULD MAKE US THINK WE WILL BE EXEMPT FROM IT.
LOOK AT WHAT ALL OF US ARE EXPERIENCING NOW THAT CENTERS ON THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY THIS PANDEMIC AND HOW IT HAS CURTAILED OUR LIVES CAUSING MANY OF US (IF NOT ALL OF US) TO SLIDE INTO SOME SORT OF DEPRESSION, CAUSING US TO EXPERIENCE FEELINGS OF ANGER AND FRUSTRATION AND EXHAUSTION…JUST BECAUSE WE ARE LIVING IN AND THROUGH THIS. THIS SUFFERING, MY FRIENDS IS HORRIFIC. AND IT IS COMMON TO ALL OF US.
NO SUFFERING COMES FROM GOD. GOD DOES NOT CREATE US AND THEN CAUSE US THE TYPES OF SUFFERINGS WE EXPERIENCE IN LIFE…FROM THE BEGINNING OF LIFE TO ITS END. AS TEMPTING AS IT MAY BE FROM TIME TO TIME TO WANT “TO CURSE GOD AND DIE,” THE PROPER RESPONSE, JOB’S RESPONSE, TO SUFFERING IS TO ENDURE…TO LIVE INTO IT AND THROUGH IT AND, SOMETIMES, WITH IT… ALWAYS KNOWING THAT WE ARE ALL IN GOD’S HANDS AND IN THE HANDS OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE WHO LOVE AND SUPPORT US WHATEVER OUR PARTICULAR SUFFERING MAY BE.
A M E N…
