The Patience of Job?

"Ye have heard of the patience of Job."

The phrase comes from the King James Version translation of James 5:11 in the New Testament.

Yet, careful readers of the book of Job notice two different characterizations of the person of Job. These differing sketches correspond to the two different literary styles in the book. So, the narrative framework of Job (chapters 1-2 & 42:7-17) presents a patient Job indeed, while the poetic sections of Job (chapters 3-42:6) present an impatient Job. [I'm thankful to Jewish biblical scholar Marc Zvi Brettler for this observation and framework (see his introductory text, How To Read the Jewish Bible, published by Oxford University Press).]

Let's call them "Prose Job" and "Poetry Job."

The opening chapters present "Prose Job" as "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." He remains all of these things throughout the horrible ordeal of losing all of his possessions and children. The story is quick to tell us: "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing." In other words, "Ye have heard of the patience of Job."

This is the second in a four-part series during May about the book of Job.

Then we read the poetry in Job.

And we hear Poetry Job's agony and unrest. We listen to his honesty.

"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes."
(Job 3:26, NRSVUE)

"I cry to you, and you do not answer me;
I stand, and you merely look at me."
(Job 30:20, NRSVUE)

We have certainly preferred "Prose Job" in our spiritual lives. He is pious. He is not demanding of God. He is passive. The Christian tradition holds this Prose Job as a worthy model. Job as saint. A silent sufferer. A man who trusts God despite his terrible experiences.

But...then we read "Poetry Job." We hear Job's anguish and agitation.

"O that I might have my request and that God would grant my desire,
that is would please God to crush me,
that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!"
(Job 6:9, NRSVUE)

Perhaps these honest poems loosen the tight boundaries of our faith and help us articulate our human experience more clearly. Patience is a virtue, but so is honoring our pain-filled experiences. The poetry of Job kindles impatience in us for the injustices surrounding us. Job does not understand why tragedy has struck.

What did he do to deserve such calamity?

Poetry Job is full of questions, literally. Lines and lines of unanswered inquiries. His experience of suffering leads him to ponder God's apparent distance.

Why suffering?

The book of Job provides us with considerable dialogue between Job and his friends. But the book as a whole also provides a dialogue between "Prose Job" and "Poetry Job" as each responds to God's actions. We need to hold these two Jobs in tension as we consider the injustices and suffering around us.

Summer Reading – Steinbeck's East of Eden

We are reading a classic piece of literature in this space this summer: John Steinbeck's masterpiece, East of Eden. The novel reflects on human nature and retells the Cain and Abel story in Genesis. Consider this quote from the work:

“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.” (413)

We will kick off the 8-week series (it's a long book!) on Monday, June 1, with an introduction to the book and the series. No need to read ahead before June. The weekly newsletter will include notes and theological ponderings throughout June and July.

Here's the reading schedule:

Week of June 1-7: read chapters 1-8
Week of June 8-14: read chapters 9-14
Week of June 15-21: read chapters 15-19
Week of June 22-28: read chapters 20-24
Week of June 29-July 5: read chapters 25-30
Week of July 6-12: read chapters 31-39
Week of July 13-19: read chapters 40-48
Week of July 20-26: read chapters 49-55

A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)

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