Sermon for March 15th, 2015

Mark 1:12-13 (NRSV)

12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Job 41:1-34 (INL)

1So you'll drag out the sea-dragon, Leviathan—with hook and line you'll sink him?
2So you'll poke a twig through his terrible nose, pierce his cheek with a thorn?
3So he'll plead with you in soft-spoken words? 4You'll cut him a deal as your slave?
5You'll sport with him like a sparrow then, and strap him down for your daughters' delight?
6You'll let businessmen barter for his hallowed hide, while merchants take their share?
7You'll riddle that hide with harpoon holes, his head with fishing spears?
8You'll place your palm upon him, then? Bethink you that battle—add naught! 

9What! All expectations of him fail; one falls at the eye-sight of him.
10A cruel one, indeed, I roused him up. Who cares to contend with me?
11To whom am I indebted now? All under heaven is mine.
12I'll not silence his bellow, nor boasts of his deeds, nor the dignity of his design.
13Who could remove his outermost robe, or break through his battle dress? 
14Who loosed the gates of his grinning face—fearful fangs far and wide? 

15Shield-ranks seal the skin of his back; 16one by one, they are woven air-tight.
17Each to another they clasp and cleave and cannot be cut apart.
18He sneezes and light bursts brightly forth; He blinks as the break of dawn.
19Fire from his face-cavern and sparks fly forth; 20smoke from his seething snout,
21His billowing breath kindles hot coals; a blaze comes forth from his maw.
22Brute force abides in the strength of his neck, but nimbly bounds before.
23The flakes of his flesh together cleave—cast firmly, cannot be moved.
24His breast cage is clad in solid rock, cast like stone from far below. 

25At his rising the angels fear; they falter at his crash.
26He who finds him fails with blade—or bolt or pike or flying spear.
27He reckons hard-wrought iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
28No arrow's offspring makes him run; rocks from slings reduced to rubble.
29Bludgeons counted blades of grass, he grimly laughs at shaken spears;
30Jagged shards his belly gird; with barbed broom he sweeps the mud.
31The deep he brings to cauldron-boil, like chemist's brew he stirs the sea;
32A highway shines in his watery wake; a white-haired wave it seems
33He is unrivaled on the earth—without any fear is he formed.
34He beholds all those who are lofty-born; of the proud he alone is Lord. 

Job: The Monsters and the Critics - Leviathan

Intro

Subheading

Job--the central character in the Book of Job--spends about 35 chapters (the vast majority of the book) asking questions. Unlike Grady's questions, Job's are not driven by curiosity, but rather personal tragedy--the loss of fortune, his property, his children, his health. Over and over again, he asks God the questions, "Why?" and "Why me?" and "What have I done to deserve this?" and "Where were you when I was suffering?" and "Where are you now?"