Above: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, by Gustave Dore
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Job 33:19-34:9 (March 2)
Job 34:10-33 (March 3)
Job 36:1-21 (March 4)
Psalm 103 (Morning–March 2)
Psalm 5 (Morning–March 3)
Psalm 43 (Morning–March 4)
Psalms 117 and 139 (Evening–March 2)
Psalms 84 and 29 (Evening–March 3)
Psalms 102 and 133 (Evening–March 4)
John 11:1-16 (March 2)
John 11:17-37 (March 3)
John 11:38-57 (March 4)
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Some Related Posts:
John 11:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/fifth-sunday-in-lent-year-a/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/thirty-fourth-day-of-lent/
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I have difficulty with the Book of Job for several reasons. One is my conviction that the titular character, according to the book itself, was innocent. So his complaints were justified. Yet Elihu–otherwise a redundant idiot–and God both accuse Job of impugning divine justice. (See Job 36:5 forward and 40:7 forward.) The Book of Job provides no satisfactory answer to the causes of suffering of the innocent. That is my second reason for difficulty with the text. And, being a good Episcopalian, I embrace the ambiguity and refuse to surrender my doubts. Jesus took away my sins, not my mind. Dismissing Elihu is impossible for me because of the reasons I have explained. I would like to dismiss him; take my word for that, O reader. So I wrestle with the texts; sometimes that is the most faithful response.
Meanwhile, in John 11, Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. This sets in motion a plot among Pharisees to scapegoat him for fear of what the Romans will do to the nation otherwise. Authorities did scapegoat Jesus. And, a generation later, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem during a revolt. There is no ambiguity about those facts. The scapegoating of Jesus did not solve any problem. It killed an innocent man, but he did not remain dead for long. And the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem stands as evidence of what the Roman forces did to the Temple in 70 CE.
The desire to eliminate Jesus was a fear reaction, not a reasoned response. Does God frighten me? Sometimes, yes. Do certain depictions of God in the Bible scare and discomfort me? Yes! But I recognize my need to approach God with theological humility. Perhaps my God concept is too small. It almost certainly is. Dismissing or rationalizing away that which brings this reality to my attention will not alter the facts. So I wrestle with the texts faithfully.
Until the next segment of our journey….
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONY AND THEODOSIUS OF KIEV, FOUNDERS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTICISM; SAINT BARLAAM OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT; AND SAINT STEPHEN OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF THE EARLY ABBOTS OF CLUNY
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH WARRILOW, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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