This week, we are making a brief run through the Book of Job. The excerpts that we receive at Mass may seem a bit confusing out of context. It’s helpful to get the context of the other chapters of Job, too. At the beginning of the saga, Satan was allowed to test Job, thinking that if what he loves is taken away, he will no longer be the most righteous man on earth: “But now put forth your hand . . . and surely he will blaspheme you to your face” (Job 1:11). God allows Satan to go ahead. We know throughout the book that God has done this, but we never really know why He chose to let Satan have so much freedom. He could have simply told him he was wrong and left it there.
Most of the remaining chapters consist of Job’s three friends trying to convince him that he has been afflicted because either he or his family have sinned. Job maintains his innocence, and says that while he recognizes God’s authority, he does not understand His actions and needs an explanation. Job is right, but his friends are persistent.
When God finally answers, this is how it begins: “Who is this that darkens counsel with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now like a man; I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:1–4). God then gives his résumé, so to speak, and Job is dumbfounded.
Where we come in today, Job is acknowledging that God vindicates the righteous, but at the same time has the right to act as He wills without condescending to our desires. “Even though I were right, I could not answer him, but should rather beg for what was due me. . . . I could not believe that he would hearken to my words” (Job 9:15–16). The Psalmist echoes this desperate begging in our Responsorial Psalm.
Job is speaking profound wisdom, taken in the context of the entire book. When we think about it, by the end of this story, God doesn’t really give Job a satisfying explanation. Instead, He argues that because of His sovereign power, providence, and justice, He is surely right and does not need to explain the things that He does.
This might seem arrogant, and it would be if God were not 100 percent right. In reality, God’s ways are unfathomable, and we can receive explanations as to why He runs the universe the way He does, but these are often incomplete. The ultimate answer to Job comes in the form of the Paschal Mystery, but even then, it does not quite explain why Job had to suffer in just the way that he did. Drawing from Job’s wisdom, we can begin to see that this is not the point. It might be nice to have the explanation for every suffering, but God shows us that regardless of the specifics, we ought to trust in His providence. He knows best, and He is in control. It is for us to be humble, knowing that in the end all will be revealed.
Esta semana, estamos haciendo un breve repaso por el Libro de Job. Los párafos que leimos en la Misa pueden parecer un poco confusos fuera del contexto. También es útil obtener el contexto de los otros capítulos de Job. Al comienzo de la saga, a Satanás se le permitió probar a Job, pensando que si le quitan lo que ama, ya no será el hombre más justo de la tierra: “Pero hazle sentir un poco el peso de tu mano… y verás cómo te maldice en tu propia cara” (Job 1:11). Dios permite que Satanás siga adelante. Sabemos a lo largo del libro que Dios ha hecho esto, pero nunca sabemos realmente por qué eligió dejar que Satanás tuviera tanta libertad. Podría simplemente haberle dicho que estaba equivocado y dejarlo ahí.
La mayoría de los capítulos restantes consisten en los tres amigos de Job tratando de convencerlo de que haya sido afligido porque él o su familia hayan pecado. Job mantiene su inocencia y dice que si bien reconoce la autoridad de Dios, no comprende sus acciones y necesita una explicación. Job tiene razón, pero sus amigos son persistentes.
Cuando Dios finalmente responde, así es como comienza: “¿Quién es este que oscurece el consejo con palabras sin conocimiento? Ciñe ahora tus lomos como un hombre, y Yo te preguntaré, y tú me instruirás. ¿Dónde estabas tú cuando Yo echaba los cimientos de la tierra?
Dímelo, si tienes inteligencia.” (Job 38, 1–4). Entonces Dios le da su currículum, por así decirlo, y Job se queda estupefacto.
Donde entramos hoy, Job está reconociendo que Dios vindica a los justos, pero al mismo tiempo tiene el derecho de actuar como Él quiere sin condescender a nuestros deseos. “Aunque yo tuviera razón, no me quedaría otro remedio que implorar su misericordia. Si yo lo citara a juicio y él compareciera, no creo que atendiera a mis razones” (Job 9,15–16). El salmista se hace eco de esta súplica desesperada en nuestro Salmo Responsorial.
Job está hablando de sabiduría profunda, tomada en el contexto de todo el libro. Cuando lo pensamos, al final de esta historia, Dios realmente no le da a Job una explicación satisfactoria. En cambio, Él argumenta que debido a Su poder soberano, providencia y justicia, ciertamente tiene razón y no necesita explicar las cosas que hace.
Esto puede parecer arrogante, y lo sería si Dios no estuviera 100 por ciento en lo correcto. En realidad, los caminos de Dios son insondables, y podemos recibir explicaciones de por qué Él dirige el universo de la manera que lo hace, pero a menudo son incompletas. La respuesta definitiva a Job viene en la forma del Misterio Pascual, pero aun así, no explica del todo por qué Job tuvo que sufrir de la forma en que lo hizo. Partiendo de la sabiduría de Job, podemos comenzar a ver que ese no es el punto. Puede ser bueno tener la explicación de cada sufrimiento, pero Dios nos muestra que, independientemente de los detalles, debemos confiar en Su providencia. Él sabe mejor, y Él tiene el control. Nos corresponde ser humildes, sabiendo que al final todo se revelará.
David Dashiell is a freelance author and editor in Nashville, Tennessee. He has a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University, and is the editor of the anthology Ever Ancient, Ever New: Why Younger Generations Are Embracing Traditional Catholicism.
Feature Image Credit: Benjamin Voros, unsplash.com/photos/phIFdC6lA4E
Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 50 years. They are the parents of eight children and thirty grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002. He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.