Job’s faith carried him through his suffering and was affirmed by God. As discussed earlier, the contest between Job and Satan rested on where he put his faith. While he suffered and experienced great pain, Job’s faith in God as Creator and Sovereign Lord outweighed his fear of the circumstances in which he found himself. Job’s faith is demonstrated not so much in what he said in the midst of extreme hardship, but instead how he acted. His faith in God led him to seek God out and not hide from him. His faith was lived out even while those around him did little to facilitate a faith-filled environment. In the arguments with his friends, faith in God was the only defense he needed.
Jesus’ obedience maintained precedence over his suffering and was affirmed by God. What characterizes Jesus’ suffering is his absolute obedience to accept it. When dying on the cross, Jesus cries out “’Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” Did Jesus say this because he lost his faith and questioned his own obedience to God?
Most scholars admit that there is a mystery found in these words. Some have surmised however, that this cry was out of the totality of the experience of suffering for humanity’s sin while not having ever known sin. If sin is understood as separation from God, then how painfully unbearable and incomprehensible would it have been for Jesus, as the Son of God, to be separated from God? Jesus’ commitment to the Father, being obedient unto death as the one who carried the sins of the world with him, suffered on a scale that is beyond human understanding. (Barclay, 364)
Job shows humanity what human suffering looks like, how it can be experienced, that it cannot be explained, and that faith is the key to perseverance. Jesus undoubtedly takes the issue of pain and suffering to levels that stretch humanity beyond comprehension. He takes suffering to the most extreme in how it is experienced, even to the cross. Jesus continually challenged his disciples to understand the events that would unfold, but it was beyond their understanding, they would doubt even after the resurrection; they thought that all hope was lost, Jesus showed them that hope had been regained by conquering death. His suffering was endured and conquered not only by faith, but most importantly with absolute obedience and humility to bridge the gap between life, death, and eternal life.
The book of Job shows the reader how a blameless servant of God might suffer for his faith. It is a very human portrayal. Those around Job asked, if he is innocent, then why is he suffering? In the middle of pain and suffering, one might as in the example of Job, think deeply about innocence and guilt with eyes fixed on the acts of God as the Creator, Sovereign Judge, and the Omniscient One.
It is in the suffering of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God on the cross, that all of creation can witness divine victory over pain, suffering and death, through the glory of the resurrection. Jesus Christ as the Sinless Innocent suffers for the sake of humanity.
William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Mark. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975).
