Sermon for February 28th, 2016

Job 34:1-15

1“Hear my words, you wise men,
    and give ear to me, you who know;
3 for the ear tests words
    as the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose what is right;
    let us determine among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘I am innocent,
    and God has taken away my right;
6 in spite of being right I am counted a liar;
    my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 Who is there like Job,
    who drinks up scoffing like water,
8 who goes in company with evildoers
    and walks with the wicked?
9 For he has said, ‘It profits one nothing
    to take delight in God.’
10 “Therefore, hear me, you who have sense,
    far be it from God that he should do wickedness,
    and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11 For according to their deeds he will repay them,
    and according to their ways he will make it befall them.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
    and the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth
    and who laid on him the whole world?
14 If he should take back his spirit to himself,
    and gather to himself his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
    and all mortals return to dust.

Truth in the Book of Job

So we've been talking about virtues in the Book of Job, and we've already covered Love and Beauty. Next week we'll tackle Wisdom, but today we're going to talk about Truth. There's a great moment in the gospel of John where the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, is questioning Jesus, trying to figure out who he is and why he has come. Jesus tells Pilate, "For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” Pilate responsds, “What is truth?” Interestingly, Jesus never answers.

What is truth? We'll get to our text and the story of Job in just a moment, but first, a few digressions.

Which of these two blocks is lighter? What color is the dress? How many sticks are there? Do you see an old woman or a young woman? Finally, is it possible to fit a round peg in a square hole?