Sermon: The Problem of Suffering, October 4th, 2015 Rev. Ryan Slifka
This service is centered on Job 1:1, 2:1-10, and is the first part of our sermon series “In to the Mystery” on the Book of Job. The first two chapters tell us about Job, a wealthy and upright man devoted to God. In a conversation with God, however, Satan suggests that Job would turn away from God if he should lose his wealth and good fortune. God agrees to put the matter to a test. Job loses everything, yet persists in his faithfulness.
The book of Job is Wisdom Literature found in the Old Testament. Job is a good and pious man who suffers unbearable tragedies, and he and his friends try to figure out why such disasters should happen to him. Job is often considered in relation to human suffering, and is considered a theodicy—a reflection on the problem of evil.