Sermon for February 25th, 2024

Job 12:1-12

1 Then Job answered: 2 “No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. 3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? 4 I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock. 5 Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable. 6 The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hands.

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being. 11 Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? 12 Is wisdom with the aged and understanding in length of days?

In Pursuit of Wisdom (Part I)

A man was driving in the countryside one day when his car broke down near a monastery. He went to the monastery, and the monks graciously offered to help him. They invited him to stay the night while they repaired his car. The man gratefully accepted their offer. That night, wandering the halls of the monastery, he observed a large wooden door with a golden plaque on it which read: Behind this door lies the secret of all true wisdom. The next morning, he asked the monks about the door, and they all grew quiet. But the man was persistent, and asked them what was behind the door. Finally one monk responded, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk." The man's curiosity was piqued, but he went on his way. Years later, he returned to the monastery and asked again about the door, and the secret of all true wisdom. The monks still refused to tell him unless he became a monk. He was so curious that he decided to join the monastery. After many years of hard work and meditation, he finally became a monk. They led him to the door, and with great anticipation he opened it. And know what he saw? I can't tell you… because you're not a monk.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Book of Job, it’s about a man named Job who loses almost everything—his house, his income, his children, and his health. Job cries out to God in his suffering, and he argues with his three friends, who seem to think that God is punishing him for something he’s done. In the end God appears to Job and restores to him everything he has lost and more.