PROTESTANT HOUR
SERMON #1 - SUMMARY

CONTENDING WITH GOD

JOHN M. BUCHANAN, PASTOR
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO

Scripture Need flag
| gop 21:2, 3a, 7, 15, 16, 2312-4 \ Mn _

"Why do the wicked live on ...? Today ... my complaint is bit-

ter: ..." --Job 21:7, 23:2 (NRSV)

This sermon uses the story of Job to address contemporary
faith issues. What is the faith response to the questions - why
do the innocent suffer and, what do I do with the anger I feel
sometimes when life is not fair?

The magnificent story of Job promises us that negative
emotions, contending with God, arguing with God, are not failures
of faith. Arguing with God is a way of taking God seriously,
believing in God.

The response to Job‘s questions, and ours, about life’s
unfairness and the anomaly of innocent suffering, is not an
academic answer, but a man whose dying on a Cross expressed God‘s

love for us and presence with us in the midst of suffering.

PROTESTANT HOUR, SERMON #1
CONTENDING WITH GOD

JoHN M, BUCHANAN, PASTOR

FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO

SCRIPTURE eens
Jos 21:2, 3a, 7, 15, 16, 23:2-4

Aco avi 7 “WHY DO THE WICKED LIVE ON ...?
We do Fy att Topay ... MY COMPLAINT IS BITTER: ..." _
en a execeant anemone
pare wey .- Jop 21:7, 23:2 (NRSV)

Dewe (

bo HAVE YOU EVER ARGUED WITH GoD? |
api a? HAVE YOUR PRAYERS EVER HAD A SHARP EDGE,

A LITTLE STING TO THEM? | HAVE YOU TALKED

—

BACK TO GOD, DEMANDED THAT GOD PAY

ATTENTION? | Have YOU EVER SEEN ANGRY

WITH Gop? \ IN ONE SENSE THOSE SOUND LIKE

poeta

VERY PRESUMPTUOUS, ARROGANT SUGGESTIONS. \
Fn aainnenintel

My FIRST AND QUICK RESPONSE, IF THE
oo

PREACHER ASKED ME THAT SEQUENCE OF

QuEsTroNs, |iouLD BE TO STIFFEN A BIT AND

ann,

BECOME DEFENSIVE AND DENY aut. \ AncuE
Co eee ne

1

WITH Gop?} ANGRY wiTH Gop? OF COURSE
ee, 72

NoT! THaT'sS RIDICULOUS.

AND YET, IF YOU CAN ANSWER AFFIRMA-~
TIVELY: {"YES, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I
ARGUED WITH Gop, OR VERY MUCH WANTED TO,
AND YES, I WAS ANGRY WITH GOD," YOU ARE

pain

IN GOOD comPANy. | In FACT, MY SUGGESTION

IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE TROUBLE

ACKNOWLEDGING IT, EVEN TO OURSELVES,

MANY OF US HAVE CONTENDED WITH Gop, MAY

—

INDEED BE ENGAGED IN AN ANGRY CONTENTION

Ey

WITH GOD AT THIS VERY MOMENT.

Jog GOT ANGRY AND ARGUED WITH GoD.

Ca

Do YoU KNOW THE STORY OF Jos? \ Ir ts

ABOUT ISSUES AS RELEVANT AS THIS MORN-
ING'S NEWSPAPERS AND QUESTIONS YOU AND I
ASK EVERY DAY.

Job IS A GOOD MAN | HE IS COMFORT-
inne,

ABLE, SECURE, OWNS A BIG ESTATE AND A
—i ae SE anal

LOT OF LIVESTOCK. \ HE LOVES HIS WIFE AND

aan

TOGETHER THEY, IN MIDDLE AGE, ARE ENJOY~

De al

ING THEIR TEN WONDERFUL crrpnen) wn
THEMSELVES ENJOY BEING JOB’S FAMILY [AND
EAT AND DRINK IN ONE ANOTHER’S HOMES

REGULARLY. | tr IS A PICTURE OF PERFECT

HAPPINESS \_ IN A CULTURE WHICH WAS

—————
ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT GOD BLESSES THE
ii
RIGHTEOUS WITH WEALTH AND BIG HEALTHY
FAMILIES AND PUNISHES THE WICKED, JOB IS
A SYMBOL OF ALL THAT IS GOOD. \ Best OF

ALL, HE IS APPROPRIATELY GRATEFUL AND

FAITHFUL IN HIS RELIGIOUS RESPONSISILI-
rzes. | Tazs MAN IS $O GOOD HE EVEN DOES

EXTRA RELIGIOUS DUTY, PUTS A_LITTLE

EXTRA IN THE PLATE, FOR HIS CHILDREN WHO
salable pee ca
HAVE NOT QUITE ARRIVED AT THE AGE OF

MATURE RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY BUT SOON

WILL, HE HOPES AND prays.[ THIS IS A
GOOP AND GREAT MAN.

| nl

IN THE MEANTIME GOD AND SATAN ARE
DISCUSSING THE PECULIAR PHENOMENON OF

HUMAN FAITHFULNESS, THE APPARENT HUMAN

ne

CAPACLTY TO BELIEVE IN GoD; PERHAPS EVEN

THE YEARNING TO BELIEVE, THE NEED TO

TRUST ,.-

conszoer Jop, A GOOD AND FAITHFUL

MAN," }GOD SAYS WITH CONSIDERABLE PRIDE.
"BIG DEAL,” SATAN REPLIES. \("OF

———

COURSE HE’S GOOD AND FAITHFUL. \ You've

BLESSED HIM WITH ALL THOSE SHEEP AND

CATTLE, ALL THOSE FAT HEALTHY BABIES.

No WONDER HE BELIEVES IN Gop.| TAKE IT

a

ALL AWAY. MAKE HIM SUFFER. LET’S SEE

ae

WHAT HAPPENS THEN.”

AND SO IT IS THAT ONE DAY JOB'S

—_—.,

PERFECT LIFE PISINTEGRATES.
—__—eeee
Hrs LIVESTOCK AND EMPLOYEES ARE ALL
a, =o
KILLED.{ HIS CHILDREN DIE IN A WIND~
ee

STORM. VAL Is LOST. ["NaKeo I CAME FROM
Cal eT

MY MOTHER'S WOMB, NAKED SHALL I RETURN.

THe LORD GAVE. THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."

JOB BREAKS OUT IN OFFENSTYESQRES,

A ONCE PROUD AND COMFORTABLE AND GOOD
teil

MAN, SITS ON A HEAP OF ASHES, SCRATCHING
tis aol

| enamel

HIS SORES WITH A PIECE OF BROKEN POT-

iinen near

TERY. \ FINALLY HIS FALTHFUL WIFE TURNS
amet ns,

ON HIM: ("Do YOU STILL PERSIST IN YOUR

Curse Gop AND pore!" \

It IS A STORY OF A MAN WHO WANTS TO

re

BELIEVE IN GOD $O MUCH THAT HE PERSISTS

a eT

INTEGRITY?

IN THE FACE OF THE VERY SITUATION WHICH
Fel

SEEMS TO DENY THE VERY NOTION OF GoD.
AND AT ANOTHER LEVEL, JOB RELENT-
pcre nel
LESSLY DEALS WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN
questzon: | THE QUESTION OF INNOCENT

EPC

SUFFERING. \ way DOES IT HAPPEN? } MANY

THOUGHTFUL AND DEEPLY FAITHFUL PEOPLE
i
HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION, NOT IN THE
a
ABSTRACT, BUT IN THE MIDST OF THEIR OWN
DESPERATE PAIN. , Kictules WolberstorfF .
A YALE PROFESSOR WROTE ABOUT HIS

RESPONSE TO THE DEATH OF A_ SON IN A
————

a

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ACCIDENT:

“T CANNOT FIT IT ALL TOGETHER ... TO
THE MOST AGONIZED QUESTION I EVER ASKED
I pO NOT KNOW THE answer.{ I po NOT KNOW
wHY GOD WOULD WATCH HIM FALL. I DO NOT

KNOW WHY GOD WOULD WATCH ME WOUNDED. 1

CANNOT EVEN GUESS ... I CAN ONLY, WITH
Jos, ENDURE.” {| CLAMENT FOR A SON, P.
67/68]

TT IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE

FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN QUESTION -~- WHY DO THE

INNOCENT SUFFER? Astra ushd Pres\ny

Ropert MCAFEE BROWN Is GUE oF our $cdiyley

MOSI..213) 4F-6LOGIANS. RECENT-

LY HIS NEWBORN GRANDDAUGHTER WAS FIGHT-
ING FOR HER LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A
CRITICAL KIDNEY DISEASE. | BROWN WROTE
HER A BEAUTIFUL LETTER WHICH THE CHRIS~
TIAN CENTURY SUBSEQUENTLY PUBLISHED:
(“Dear MacKENZIE" HE WROTE, "IN YOUR

YOUNG LIFE YOU HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED

A LOT. YOU HAVE WIDENED THE CIRCLE OF
LOVE. THERE ARE THINGS WE WILL NEVER
UNDERSTAND, BUT WITHIN WHICH WE LIVE. \
HERE IS ONE: WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU
IS BAD, AND YET GOOD HAS COME OF IT.
INSTEAD OF MAKING US BITTER, SUFFERING
CAN MAKE US TENDER, AND HELP US TO FOCUS
ON OTHERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH COMPARA-
BLE EXPERIENCES.” A

THE CRITICALLY ILL BABY WAS A
REMINDER, BROWN REFLECTS, THAT TIME IS
50 VERY precrous.{ "I HOPE THAT WE WILL
NEVER FORGET WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE
PEDIATRIC WARD: THE SHEER WONDER OF A
SINGLE DAY IN WHICH YOU, MACKENZIE, AND
THOSE WE LOVE, AND OTHERS ELSEWHERE, ARE
DOING NOTHING MORE SPECTACULAR THAN
BREATHING recutaacy.” |

I RECENTLY HEARD A REMARKABLE

SPEECH SUPREME Court JusTICE SANDRA Day

O'CONNOR, MADE TO A GROUP OF WOMEN --

7

SURVIVORS OF CANCER. Justice O’CoNNOR

WAS CANDID, STRAIGHT FORWARD, BUSINESS~
— ‘eee

LIKE, AND ELOQUENT AS SHE SHARED HER OWN

Pee

EXPERTENCE; [THE FEAR, THE TECHNICAL

COMPLEXITY, |THE FRUSTRATION AT HAVING TO

DEAL WITH SIX DIFFERENT pocTors, | EACH

SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, ..- AND THE

VULNERABILITY AND POWERLESSNESS. \ar THE

END AS SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT SHE

-
LEARNED, SHE ECHOED Bop Brown - THE PRE
a

CIOUS GIFT OF EVERY pav;\ THE WAY A CLOSE

CALL, A REMINDER OF OUR MORTALITY, IS A

nal

GIFT BECAUSE IT PUNCTUATES THE GRACE OF

ie a)

LIFE,| THE UNDESERVED, UNMERITED, UN~

EARNED MIRACLE THAT WE ARE HERE, TODAY,

EACH OF US, BREATHING REGULARLY, FUNC~

—_—

TIONING, ..-.-
ProFessorR BROWN’S CONCLUSION OF HIS
ee
LETTER TO MACKENZIE DEALT WITH THE BASIC
Eee

a eyeeyenionictieepi—en,

ISSUE.

"IF YoU LIVE, I WILL GIVE GOD
THANKS,” HE WROTE. {ir you po not I
WILL BE ASKING 'WHY DOES ALL THIS HAPPEN
TO A TINY NEWBORN pap?’ \ I KNOW THAT
THERE IS ONE ANSWER THAT DOES NOT TEMPT
ME: THE PIOUS STATEMENT THAT ‘WHATEVER
HAPPENS IS GOD'S WILL AND WE MUST ACCEPT
rT. \Ir 1s NOT Gop’S WILL THAT YOU OR
ANY OF GOD'S CHILDREN SHOULD DIE IN
INFANCY. It 1S Gop'S WILL THAT YOU LIVE
JOYOUSLY AND FULLY.”

AND THEN BROWN SOUNDS LIKE JOB.

—
"IF YOU DIE” HE WRITES TO LITTLE MacKEN-
ZIE, "WE WILL NOT BE _ACQUIESCENT AND
MEEKLY ACCEPTING. “J [THE CHRISTIAN
Century, 3/2/94, P. 227]

JoB IS NOT ACQUIESCENT. {HE DOES
NOT MEEKLY ACCEPT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO
HIM. \ tw FACT, HE IS DEEPLY ANGRY.

THREE FRIENDS COME TO VISIT JOB IN

Sntenaned
HIS MISERY AND TRY TO COMFORT van. | THEY

—

SAY THE KINDS OF THINGS WE ARE TEMPTED TO
SAY TO ONE ANOTHER IN_SIMILAR CIRCUM-
STANCES: (rr was Gop’S WILL.\ YOU HAVE
TO ACCEPT THE BAD WITH THE GOoD.'] JoB’s
FRIENDS REPEAT THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

OF THEIR cuLTure. \ Goo SENDS SUFFERING

TO PUNISH WICKEDNESS. { Jos NEEDS TO

a

IDENTIFY HIS SIN, CONFESS HIS GUILT AND

a

GoD WILL FORGIVE AND RESTORE.

JoB WILL HAVE NONE OF av. | He's

INNOCENT AND KNOWS rr. \ He HAS DONE
a #

NOTHING TO DESERVE WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED CANNOT BE Gop’'S

DOING. | Gop’sS WILL. \ Ano HE STARTS TO

GET ANGRY ... | ANGRY WITH HIS FRIENDS
_

—_—_——,

FOR TRIVIALIZING HIS SUFFERING,\ ANGRY AT
a,

THE UNFAIRNESS OF IT ALL, \AND FINALLY,

ANGRY WITH Gop.

—

NORMAN HABEL, AN AUSTRALIAN SCHOL-

—, el

AR, RECALLS THE DAY HIS HOME BURNED TO

=—

THE GROUND.

10

"T+ WAS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
AND IN THE DRY HEAT OF THE AUSTRALIAN
SUMMER THE WOODEN FARMHOUSE WAS CONSUMED
LIKE TINDER. AS WE WATCHED THE BLAZE
PEOPLE CAME FROM EVERYWHERE. [A PASTOR,

—.

TOO CAME. HE PUT HIS HAND ON MY SHOUL-
DER AND SAID, {'NorM, THE LORD GIVES AND
THe LoRD TAKES AWAY.’ JI was aNGRY. I
WANTED TO HIT HIM. THERE WAS NO COMFORT
IN HIS WORDS AT THAT MOMENT.” [LJos, P.
42)

Jog BECOMES anary. | THE 21ST CHAP-
TER, FROM WHICH WE HEARD SEVERAL VERSES,
IS A LENGTHY, ANGRY, EXPLOSION ON THE
TOPIC OF LIFE’S unFArRNESS.\ COoNVENTION-
AL WISDOM IS wronc.\ Gooo PEOPLE ARE NOT

Eee Pal
REWARDED AND BAD PEOPLE PUNISHED.
SOMETIMES THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS. | THE
a

WICKED PROSPER.

“LTFE ISN'T FAIR" JO8 COMPLAINS

a

BITTERLY, FINALLY FINDING THE COURAGE TO

ee —

ii

BRING HIS CASE TO GOD ...
"On, THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND
HIM, ... I WOULD LAY MY CASE BEFORE
HIM, AND ARGUE.
Pinion
THAT'S A BIT MUCH FOR MOST OF US.
F ei

WHATEVER OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH

Gop, ANGRY COMPLAINING AND DEMANDING 1I5

Pee —,

ORDINARILY NOT A PART OF IT. | IN FACT,
_——eeeee
RELIGION SEEMS TO TEACH THAT SUBMISSION
| nnn methine
to Gop'S WILL, OR SUBMISSION TO WHATEVER
HAPPENS TO US, IS THE APPROPRIATE RE-
SPONSE.

Jog IS NOT MEEKLY SUBMISSIVE, IN

FACT JOB TAKES GoD $O SERIOUSLY, TRUSTS
re

F mien)

Gop SO TOTALLY, THAT HE MUST BRING TO

a ee yaad

GoD EVEN THIS ONSLAUGHT OF RESENTMENT

AND GRIEF AND ANGER. \ we ARE LISTENING
ie

IN ON THE FAITHFUL PRAYERS OF A PRO~

ree,

FOUNDLY FAITHFUL MAN, AND THEY ARE SO
STRONG AND SO HONEST THAT THEY MAKE US
le

UNCOMFORTABLE.

12

ANGER, WEE BD, IS ALWAYS A
PY Ft,

PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF Loss. | AT THE

TIME OF DEEP PERSONAL LOSS EVEN THE MOST

eee,

DEVOUT PERSON CAN FEEL HOSTILE AND
el

De

ee

RESENTFUL || WHEN WE LOSE SOMEONE WE

LOOK FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME ... OFTENTIMES
eee saerarisenemien ated

THE DOCTOR FOR OPERATING OR NOT OPERAT-~

Fite’
NG,} FoR ARRIVING TOO LATE OR FOR MAKING

THE WRONG DIAGNOSIS, OR FOR NOT CARING

ENOUGH. | NO MATTER WHAT HE OR SHE DID IT

esi

WAS WRONG. [| SOMETIMES WE GET ANGRY AT

er -

THE MINISTER OR THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR, OR

Pan]

ONE ANOTHER, OR OURSELVES. Gar ALL MY
FAULT, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS OR THAT."
AND OFTEN TIMES, BENEATH IT ALL, AT A

LEVEL SO DEEP IN US WE CANNOT ALWAYS

eri

LOCATE IT, WE ARE ANGRY AT LIFE, ITS

—_—e

UNFAIRNESS, AND AT Gop. | "OH Gop, WHY

HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO ME? | WHERE ARE YOU

i

WHEN I NEED You? ANSWER ME!"

13

Ypu Ievarw
Wisi iGghaea Rana IN PERSONAL RELATION-
SHIPS IT IS BETTER TO EXPRESS OUR ANGER
pec eee

THAN TO REPRESS IT, OR TO AIM IT TOWARD

——

SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ELSE, lor TURN IT ON

_emieeriiaitin

OURSELVES, OR SIMPLY SULK IN SILENCE.

iad

UNEXPRESSED ANGER CAN BECOME A VERY REAL

BARRIER BETWEEN US,/ SO WE MUST LEARN

THAT TRUST AND FAITH IN GOD WHO LOVES US
AND CARES ABOUT US ALLOWS AND INVITES US
TO GIVE VOICE TO THAT DEEP SENSE OF PAIN
ere a
AND ANGER.
THIS MAGNIFICENT STORY

Gna

ASSURES/PROMISES THAT NEGATIVE EMOTIONS,

CONTENDING WITH GOD, ARGUING WITH Gop,
a

ARE NOT FAILURES OF FAITHS ARGUING WITH

Gop IS A WAY OF BELIEVING IN GOD, TAKING
menial

Gop SERIOUSLY, TRUSTING IN Gob.
In ARCHIBALD MacLersH’s PLay, JB, -
eee
WHICH IS A RETELLING OF THE STORY OF JOB

IN A CONTEMPORARY SETTING - JB Says,

14

"GOD IS THERE TOO, IN THE DESPERA-
TION. I DO NOT KNOW WHY GOD SHOULD
STRIKE. But Gop IS WHAT IS STRICKEN
atso." [p. 89]

ON THAT DAY, A DARK FRIDAY AFTER-

Fain

NOON, WHEN ALL WAS LOST, | THE PROCESS OF

F esmuiitienhiieeed

EXECUTION BEGAN, HIS FRIENDS GONE, HIS
pooner. poe ommmieaiiemes’
PEOPLE EITHER WEEPING OR JEERING, [HIS

LIFE EBBING PAINFULLY, JESUS GATHERED

ane,

HIS STRENGTH AND cRIED. | It was nor, I
TT,

We

THINK, MEEK AND SUBMISSIVE. IT WAS AT

in

ONCE THE MOST HUMAN AND THE HOLIEST OF

PRAYERS:

"My Goo, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU
FORSAKEN ME." )

WHEN I'M THAT HURT AND VULNERABLE,

re

WHEN LIFE IS THAT UNFAIR AND WHEN I

CANNOT REPRESS OR DENY MY ANGER ANY

LONGER, I DO NOT WANT AN ACADEMIC ANSWER
ee ieee

TO THE QUESTION OF INNOCENT SUFFERING.

I DO NOT WANT AN ANSWER AT ALL. | I WANT

ae en

15

SOMEONE TO HEAR ME, MY PRAYER, MY PAIN,
MY ANGER,

THAT'S WHAT THAT MAN ON THE CROSS
IS ABOUT. (He ts Gop's aNsweR. | He Is
Gop'S PRESENCE.

HE IS THE BLESSED PROMISE WHICH Jos
DESPERATELY WANTED AND FINALLY HEARD ...
THERE 15 A GOD OF LOVE, WHO HAS COME TO

Se ee | i
BE WITH us; | not SO MUCH TO PROVIDE

Fee aha,
ANSWERS, BUT TO PARTICI IN LIFE WITH
US, TO BE WITH US THROUGH ALL THOSE
EXPERIENCES WHICH PRECIPITATE OUR QUES-

Deel

trons: \A Gop, NOT REMOTE, BUT CLOSE;

NOT DETACHED, BUT A GOD WHO SHARES HUMAN
SUFFERING AND WHOSE LOVE ALWAYS WELCOMES
US AS WE ARE ~ TIRED, FRIGHTENED, LONE-
LY, ANGRY.
kK RE kK
0 Gop, WE COME BEFORE YOU HUMBLY,

BRINGING WHAT FAITH WE HAVE: AND ALSO

16

BRINGING OUR DOUBT, OUR FEAR, OUR RE-
SENTMENT, OUR ANGER. THANK YOU FOR
HEARING US; FOR BEING OUR GOD; FOR LIGHT
IN OUR DARKNESS. THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

Our Lorp. AMEN.

17