Job was an upright man.  He believed in God and he loved his neighbor.  So when the trials came his way and he suffered dearly, he was baffled.  He could not understand why he was in such a dire predicament.  The three friends who visit him come to the conclusion that Job had to be a sinner because poverty and sickness are the consequence of sin.  In short, you reap what you sow.  Yet Job throughout his battle with sickness, suffering, and loss, is adamant about his integrity and will not recant.  Like Job in scripture we also see Joseph, Jacob's favorite son, experiencing cruel hardship without any wrongdoing on his part.  In both instances the final outcome is highly favorable and peace is their reward.

            With Job we see his trials are the result of a conversation between satan and God.  God is not the initiator of the battle nor does he refuse the challenge.  Satan's argument is that Job is good only because he is blessed and if you took away the blessing, Job would curse God.  Job, of course, does not know about the conversation, but even though his wife tells him to curse God, he refuses to do so.  Ultimately, God restores to Job twice what he lost, but more significantly, Job experiences God and realizes that his virtue pales next to God's holiness and all his hardships are of little consequence compared to his experience of God.

            For the average Christian, we come to God with sin on our soul and a need to come to God and be washed in the blood of the Lamb.  Unlike Job, we all fall short of the glory of God.  But once we have been blood washed and Spirit filled, according to the parable of the Sower, persecution and trial may come our way and we may have not done anything wrong to justify the situation we are facing.  We may be just as righteous as Job and are equally baffled by the present predicament and like the book of Job, God is not the author of the trial neither will he keep us from experiencing it.  What we learn from Job is to remain true to God, no matter what the test, and if we are faithful, we will be vindicated in the end.  St. Peter tells us that satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and he would be very happy to devour a believing Christian.  So if you are a Christian in the midst of trial and suffering and are perplexed about the situation, learn from Job. Do not let the trials of life turn you away from God.  If your Christian walk is a smooth one, remember that almost everyone goes through some form of trial at some point in their life.  Know that if you endure the battle, your ultimate reward is the experience of God and a restoration of peace and prosperity.  Be a soldier of Jesus Christ and run the race with the determination to come in first and receive the crown of life.  Don't falter.  Don't fear.  Believe in God and God will be your greatest reward.

amen