On Sunday, we will begin reading from Job, the first of four readings. Job is among the most interesting books of the Bible and the most challenging theologically. It’s a curious work, in part because of its structure. The folktale of a pious man Job, who was tested by the Satan, lost everything, suffered bodily, but persevered and in the end was rewarded for his steadfastness, brackets poetry of great intensity and deep theological reflection. The text is among the most difficult of the books of the Hebrew Bible to reconstruct and translate.

Job is often misunderstood in the Christian tradition. The Letter of James writes of “the patience of Job” which is misleading at best. It’s a mistranslation of a word that is better rendered as “steadfastness.” Of course, Job is anything but patient. The book raises the difficult question of theodicy, why do bad things happen to good people. Essentially, Job puts God on trial, demanding an explanation for all that has befallen him. I will have more to say about this.