12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Job 38:1, 8-10
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Mark 4:35-31
June 21, 2015
Job had been a patient person. By worldly standards he had been a great man with wealth and family but that had been taken from him by the evil one. His friends thought he must have sinned and that his loss for punishment for his sins.
It’s a simple concept. Do good and God blesses you. Do bad and God will punish you.
While Job had great worldly wealth he was also a man of great faith. He knew he had not sinned but accepted what happened as God’s Will. If we accept God from God, should we also not accept evil.
Job’s friends continued to tell him to admit his sins and repent. He maintained his innocence and trusted in God but it was not easy. Job is known for his patience but even he grew weary of the sufferings. He did not doubt God but he did begin to wonder why God allowed this suffering. He began to ask why.
Today we hear part of God’s answer to Job. In very simple terms God says to Job, who are you to question me. This is not arrogance on God’s part. When we hear the whole story, we hear God speak of all the wonderful things He has made in creation and that we can’t possibly expect to understand everything.
Job accepts this in faith. God then gives Job new wealth and a new family.
Job had always been a man of great faith but his suffering led him to question. For Job, his loss was a terrible storm but God was always with him.
Today Jesus crosses the sea in a boat accompanied by His disciples. Jesus is asleep when a great storm comes up. His disciples are scared for their lives and they see Jesus still sleeping. They wondered if He even cared.
In their fear they go to Jesus. He immediately tells the winds, “Quiet! Be still!” and the storm is over.
When a storm comes up in our lives causing us to suffer, what is our response? Do we ask God to take it away? That should always be the starting point of our prayer but what if God doesn’t take it away? Do we begin to doubt God or do we seek answers?
God made us with the gift of reason. We are supposed to seek answers. Many times we might find an answer. Here I tend to always think of my mother. She died of emphysema and lung cancer. Why? Because she smoked for thirty years.
There are also questions I have that I can’t find answers to. Sometimes it is as simple as feeling there is too much work for me to do and I can’t get all done. Why is it so hard to be a pastor?
Sometimes the answer might it isn’t time yet or maybe it isn’t for me to do it. Maybe it belongs to someone else. Maybe I am trying too hard and I need to relax and let God help me.
God gives us the gift of reason but it isn’t always enough. For the times when reason is not enough, God gives us the gift of faith.
Knowledge is great and it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but it is not the only gift. The Holy Spirit also gives us the gifts of understanding and wisdom to see as God sees. When we can’t, the Holy Spirit helps us to have faith that God is with us.
When we have storms in our lives that cause us to suffer may we always trust in God who always walks with us.