READINGS FOR APRIL 9, 2024: JOB 36, 1 CORINTHIANS 3, PSALM 28:6-9
JOB 36
This chapter is again a continuation of a speech by Elihu. The speech in this chapter is directed to Job. The theme is the majesty, power, and mercy of God.
So far in this longwinded speech, Elihu has stayed within the bounds of sound theological dialogue. But in verses 5-12, he makes a critical error in the way God works in the world. Elihu makes the statement that because God is just, God rewards the righteous and punishes the sinners.
This is at the heart of the story with the book of Job. Job was a righteous man and yet he was suffering. For Elihu (and Job’s other friends) this is contradictory to what they believed to be true. In their theology, God blessed the righteous with wealth and status and punished the unrighteous. If a person was suffering, they only had themselves (or their ancestors) to blame. God would allow a righteous person to suffer.
This belief is still rampant I our churches and society. And yet, you do not need to look far to see that it is not true. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds us:
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45b, NIV)
Suffering is part of the human condition. The fact that we were born means that one day we will die. It is part of the circle of life.
God is not the source of our suffering. When Adam and Eve fell prey to the lying serpent in the Garden of Eden, evil was unleashed on the world. It is Satan and death that brings sin, hatred, suffering and death.
God comforts us in our suffering. As it says in the Psalm reading for today, God is the shepherd who carries us when we need it. God protects us and saves us when we allow God to do so.
1 CORINTHIANS 3
This chapter begins with a criticism of the people in the Corinth church. Paul uses the image of the feeding an infant to assess their spiritual growth. Even though Paul and others had spent considerable time teaching them about the Christian faith, they were still being fed milk and not solid food. The growth in faith was not maturing. The conflicts in the church were a sign of their spiritual immaturity.
As Christians, it is an individual’s responsibility to grow in faith. Teachers can assist them. Books can help them understand. But maturity in faith rests squarely in the heart of the individual.
The next image Paul uses is to try and diffuse the conflict in the church. The people had chosen sides and were supporting the teachings of Paul, or Cephas (Peter), or Apollos. Paul uses the imagery of gardening (farming) to show the people of Corinth that their arguments are not valid. One teacher planted the seed and another one watered it. The teachers were only doing their part. It was God who “has been making it grow” (verse 6). The work of the gardener is important. But it pales in comparison to what God does in the life of a Christian.
We often use this passage to encourage each other to work for the reign of Christ and leave the growing to God. This is not wrong, but the original use was to show the people of Corinth that the argument they were making was based upon a wrong assumption.
To further his point, Paul then uses the image of constructing a building. To our modern understanding, this should make sense. In building a home, a specialized crew does each stage of construction. There are masons for the foundation, framers for the walls, roofers, electricians, plumbers, drywallers, painters, etc. Each one has a unique job that when you add them all together you get a home.
God uses each teacher in your life to help you to construct your faith. It is the Holy Spirit that is responsible for the finished product. But, each craftsperson (teacher), whether official or unofficial) played a part in the Christian that you become.
And while these faithful Christians played a part in your spiritual formation, the result is the work that the Holy Spirit has done in you. It is the work that you have done with the assistance of others through the Holy Spirit that allows you to move from baby’s milk to baby food, to the full menu of spiritual nourishment as you mature in the faith.
PSALM 28:6-9
The psalm ends in praise to God. David accepts the fact that God has heard his cry in need. David’ heart leaps for joy as he sings praise.
David uses the idea of a shield to talk about God’s protection. In ancient times, the shield was the first line of defense for a soldier in battle. It was used to defend from attacks from arrows, spears, and swords. If it were wooden, it could be wrapped in leather and soaked in water to repel the flaming arrows of the long bow. If it were metal, it would be almost impenetrable.
The last verse lifts God’s two primary acts by which he effects people’s well-being. God saves and blesses the people who call on God.
David uses two images in this last verse. The first is from Deuteronomy 9:29:
But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm. (NIV)
The people of Israel are God’s Chosen People. It is through God’s relationship with the Chosen People that the rest of the world will see the attributes of God. When God saves them from their enemies or when God blesses them with goodness.
The second image is God as Shepherd. The shepherd protects as he cares for the sheep. The shepherd carries the sheep when they are injured. God care for his people forever.
