Sermon for March 22nd, 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 1:6-12, INL

6And so it happened one day that the sons of God came to stand before YHWH, and the prosecutor also came in their midst. 7YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Where did you come from?” The prosecutor answered YHWH and said, “From roaming the earth, and walking around on it.” 8And YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth—a perfect and upright man who fears God and rejects evil.” 9Then the prosecutor answered YHWH and said, “Why wouldn't he? 10You have shielded him and his house, and everything he has on all sides! You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have spread out over the land. 11But send forth your hand, please, and touch everything he has, and he will 'bless' you to your face.” 12YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Fine! Everything he has is in your hand; only do not send your hand against him.” So the prosecutor went out from the presence of YHWH.

Job 2:1-7, INL

2And so it happened one day that the sons of God came to stand before YHWH, and the prosecutor also came in their midst to stand before YHWH. 2YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Where did you come from?” The prosecutor answered YHWH and said, “From roaming the earth, and walking around on it.” 3YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on earth—a perfect and upright man who fears God and rejects evil. He still holds onto his integrity, and so you persuaded me to ruin him without cause.” 4Then the prosecutor answered YHWH and said, “One skin for another! The man will give anything for his life. 5But send forth your hand, please, and touch his bones and his flesh, and he will 'bless' you to your face.” 6YHWH said to the prosecutor, “Fine! He is in your hand; just preserve his life.” 7So the prosecutor went out from the presence of YHWH, and attacked Job with horrible disease, from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Book of Job: The Monsters and the Critics - Satan

Sometimes the "monster" at the end of the story turns out to be us. Sometimes the "monster" is God, acting in ways we cannot understand, or do not agree with. Sometimes there is no monster...and so we invent one.

• Only two main characters in the book of job: God and Job. All the others (incuding Satan) are minor. Same is true for us. We can use "the devil" to demonize others or to explain away things we don't like/understand, or even our own shortcomings (devil made me do it) but at the end of the day we stand befoe God, accountable for our own actions.

• Flannery O'Connor - Good Man is Hard to Find quote

She would have been a good woman if it had been someone there to shoot her every minute of her life."