August 14, 2023

Today's Reading: Job 38:4-18

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 12:1-25, Acts 22:30-23:11

Job 38:4: ““Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Where were you when God worked? To create. To redeem. The real question the Lord poses to Job is “Why would you think you need to be?” It’s a harsh question for a reason.  After everything that Job went through, it’s easy to question how a loving God could let it happen. It’s easy to come up with 100 other options that involve less hurt.  The Lord doesn't take time to entertain them.  He doesn’t make it a contest of ideas, but of identity. 

Because we have questions and ideas.  And honestly it’s going to be tough to convince anyone in the midst of Job’s suffering that it’s totally a good idea. We still try. We treat “everything happens for a reason” like a magic spell that just makes it all ok.  Instead, Job is left with a reminder about who his God is.  Because honestly, he’s not going to understand the reason.  The Lord berates Job for chapters on end for assuming he possibly could.  You are not God. You’re not going to understand the reason.  You were not even there.  And that’s a gift. 

Why would you think you’d need to be?  Did the God who did all these we don’t understand and hate put Himself farther away from creation or closer? He was incarnate.  Did He put Himself farther away or closer to suffering? He took flesh to die for you.  Were you there?  

Why would you measure creation by your experience of it? Why would you think you had to be at the foot of the cross to make it matter more? It’s evil to measure it by your experience.  If God is only working in ways that you experience as pleasurable, when you need Him the most, He’ll feel the farthest away.  He didn’t abandon Job.  Thinking that way is demonic.  It’s literally what Satan wanted.  Sing songs about where you were when Jesus was crucified all you want, but what matters isn’t just that it happened, but it happened for you. Even if you weren’t there. That it was the work of a God smarter than you. Holier than you. Who loves you.  He does things we don’t understand and don’t like.  But He also bears the worst of it Himself, even for the very sinners who question His motives while He does it. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh . . . Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord (Were You There, LSB 456:1)?

-Pastor Harrison Goodman is Content Executive for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.