Do Not Fail To Visit The Sick

As we enter chapter 2 we read that Job retains his faith, despite his wife's encouragement to "curse God and die." In all this, says the writer of this marvelous book, "Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:9).

At this point we have not learned who wrote the book of Job. Was it Job himself? No answers are immediately forth coming. Rabbis of old suggested Moses as the author. Some commentators in the 17th century (i.e. French Capuchin monk Jacques Bolduc) suggested that Moses took the original Aramaic form of the book and translated it into Hebrew. Still others suggested that Elihu, one of Job's comforters, or even Job himself, was the author. The fact that the book has Arabic words, nomadic habits, illustrations from sandy plains and an awareness of nature suggests that it was written in the era of the O.T. patriarchs. All we can do is guess, because the text does not identify its author.

So, back to the story.

We now meet three of Job's friends.

• Eliphaz the Temanite - his name means "El (God) is pure gold." He likely came from Teman, an important city of Edom (Amos 1:12; Obadiah 8-9; Jeremiah 49:7. Tradition gave this name to Esau's son, the father of Theman (Gen. 36:11; I Chron. 1:35-36). 

Baal, god of thunder

• Bildad the Shuhite - his name means "Bel has loved" He is probably called the Shuhite because he belonged to Shuah, a district in Arabia, where Shuah, Abraham's sixth son by Keturah, settled (Gen. 25:2). His name suggests he is the representative of the various Baal and Bel cults. Baal is the storm god, rider of the clouds and active during the storms. 

• Zophar the Naamathite - his name means "sparrow." We do not know where Naamah was. The LXX (Greek OT) renders him "king of the Mineans or Midianites." Others suggest Maonites (Judges 10:12). Perhaps the Maonites were a tribe of Arabs inhabiting Maon (Jos. 15:55; 1 Sam. 23:24-25:2). 

These fine friends of Job heard of the tragedies that struck him and his family. They came together to "show him sympathy or to console and comfort him." But when they arrived they didn't even recognize the man, so distorted were his features, so filled with blisters and sores was his body. All they could do was to tear their robes and sprinkle dust in the air above to indicate their grief and pain. 

And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. - Job 2:13 ESV

We will hear later about how they tried to comfort him with their words. For now let us ponder the importance of our personal visits to those who are grieving and sick. Jesus healed many during his ministry. He commends those of us who follow his example by reaching out to the sick. He tells us that in so doing we are ministering unto him.

I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' - Mat 25:36-40 ESV

You Did It For Me

It is a bit uncommon for me to fill a pulpit on any given Sunday morning. That is my own choice, I suppose. Some classmates and friends are interim or vacancy pastors, still preaching every Sunday morning. Be that as it is, I am privileged to preach this Sunday, the final in the traditional church year. My sermon to the small congregation in Livingston, TX. is based upon the Gospel lesson from Matthew 25:31-46, the final separation of the righteous from the unrighteous. What struck me again about that lesson is the vision our LORD has for Christian community. Upon commending the righteous for their lives, He says,

"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

They protest, indicating they didn't see Him. But He responds, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

All of their deeds of kindness, care and concern were in reality done to Him. In other words, the believer's entire life is one of response to the love we receive from Him. We love Him because He first loved us. "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:18-20).

Note that the word 'brother' is used both by Jesus and by the Apostle John. John says that the brother in need is visible enough, even though God remains physically invisible. So if I love God who first loved me in Christ, the immediate way to love God is to love my brother. Earlier in the same chapter of his letter John writes, "if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

This points to that strange mystery about the church, the mystical body of Christ in the world. We are His body, hands, feet, eyes and ears. His Spirit lives in us. It is through us that He continues to teach, heal, serve and care. Consequently it is quite unthinkable that we do not love one another.

The word 'love' is, of course, the tricky word here. English speakers are bound to use the word love in all directions, whereas the Greeks of Jesus' day had four words available: agape, or spiritual love; storge, or familial love; philia, the love between friends; and the familiar eros, sexual love.

C.S. Lewis took all this apart in his well known work, The Four Loves, published by Harcourt in 1971. In it he points to the many ways by which familial, 'philial' and sexual love can be twisted from the purposes for which they were created. Yet all this changes when the 'agapic' love of Christ takes hold of one's life. Then you begin to love as you have been loved and in those very acts you are changed. As John wrote, "His love is made complete in us."

As we approach a national day of Thanks Giving, I give thanks that I have been called into this love of God so clearly seen in Christ Jesus. Consequently I have been and continue to be loved by my brothers and sisters in the great family of God. In turn I have family members all around who need and welcome my love. What a wonder. What a reason to give thanks indeed.