Question + Answer = Direction

Job 28:1-28

Our reading from Job today asks a question and then, a few verses later, answers it. "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?…  Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:20, 28). That’s about as straight forward as scripture gets. No parable, no allegory, no prophetic vision, no dreams in need of interpretation, just a question and an answer. Don’t we wish it was that easy all the time?

And yet, is this really an “easy” situation? Is it really “easy” to fear the Lord when the world offers us so many other options, so many gods and idols clamoring for our attention? And is it really all that “easy” to turn away from our sinful inclinations? No, these are not “easy” things to do; they require constant effort on our part and an unwavering devotion to God’s will. What we do find, however, is a road map, a source of direction by which to travel so that we know what is expected of us. And we know that God is engaged in the effort with us, for we have Jesus Christ as Lord and the gift of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

The question and the answer are there and while they do not make life simple, they do provide us with a direction to travel, a guiding star if you will. God has not left us to flounder, God is giving us what we need.

Prayer: Lord, continue to guide us and to direct us in our living that we may serve you all the days of our lives and that we may have peace and reconciliation with our neighbors

On Understanding

Mark 6:47-56

Mark tells the familiar story of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee. Unlike Matthew’s account (Matthew 14:22-33), however, Mark indicates that the disciples still did not grasp what was going on, even after Jesus had fed the multitude with just a few loaves and fishes. “And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:51b-52). Indeed, it would seem that two miraculous events so close together (feeding the crowd and walking on the sea) would be enough to convince anyone of Jesus’ divinity. But according to Mark the disciples still didn’t get it. Their hearts were hardened and they lacked faith.

I can’t say that I blame the disciples all that much. I doubt I would have caught on any quicker than they did to who Jesus was. So it helps me to learn of their hardheartedness, of their failure to see what was happening right in front of them. If they, the disciples, Jesus’ own followers, were confused then there is hope for me as well, hope that God will stick it out with me giving me opportunities to learn and to grow in faith, to come to a better understanding of who God is and what Jesus was all about. And here is as good a reason to study scripture as I can think of. When we read the word of God we find that we and others like us are a part of the story. We sit with the crowds on the green grass waiting for bread and fish, wondering where it comes from. We find our place in the boat with the disciples, struggling against the wind one moment and terrified by a “ghost” the next. We follow Jesus into marketplaces, seeking to touch the fringe of his garment so that we might be healed of our infirmities. We accept that our hearts are hard, our minds are clouded, our wits are dull, but that Jesus welcomes us all the same and that God claims us.

The events in scripture are not limited to times gone by, they are our stories as well. And in them we find greater understanding and deeper faith, because in them we finally may see ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to hear and to understand your word for us. And help us to live according to your will, for it is in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.

Mining for Wisdom

Job 28:1-28
John 12:27-36a
“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” asks Job (Job 28:12). That’s a question I suspect we all ask from time to time. In fact, I think I must ask it several times a day. Where can wisdom be found? Where is understanding? Why do things seem so mixed up in our world and why does no one seem to have the tools necessary to deal with it all? In his collection entitled Chicago Poems Carl Sandburg included the work “Happiness.”

I asked the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them…

And as recently as the late 70’s singer Elvis Costello asked, “What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?” He was speaking for a generation of people who had become very disillusioned.

This is why the first several verses from the Job reading today seem so appropriate to me. The struggle to find wisdom and understanding in our lives can be very much like mining for precious metals or gems. Sometimes we must go to out of the way places, or wrestle with difficult ideas, or strain our eyes (or the eyes of our minds) to see what is not readily apparent. But like miners, if we will continue to work and to struggle and to exert the energy we begin to find ourselves enriched by the results, and sometimes in very unexpected ways. The object, of course, is to be come faithfully obedient to God’s will. “While you have the light,” says Jesus, “believe in the light, so that you may become children of light” (John 12:36a). Keep working with scripture, mining the rich veins of spiritual gold and watching for precious gyms of insight. Continue to tread the familiar ground of “old favorites”: Psalms 23 and 121, Micah 6:6-8, John 3:16. But be willing to search in the places that are unfamiliar to you as well, for “all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Ultimately Job offers the answers to the questions. “Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). But to do these things, to learn to fear (or respect) God and to learn how not to do evil are both worth the effort.

Prayer: O God, give us minds to comprehend the depth of your word that it may guide us all our days and help and comfort us throughout our lives. Amen.