Has an experience in your life ever sparked you to ask the question “why do bad things happen to good people?” Perhaps an event in your life or your relative’s life has led you to reflect on this very complicated concept. Sometimes, certain events and experiences seem very unfair, cruel, unreasonable, and hurtful, and it’s difficult to understand the logic behind why these things happen. The Book of Job in the bible is an incredible example of dealing with uncertainty during pain and suffering. Job is a righteous man who faces significant suffering in his life. Job’s journey of transforming pain into growth serves as a testament to God’s justice, therefore demonstrating the true importance of having unwavering trust in God’s plan. Ultimately through this story, God underlines that the best way to deal with suffering and challenges in life is through His strength and prayer.
Throughout the book of Job, Job and his peers attempt to understand the logic behind suffering. The friends debate over God’s integrity and justice, discussing their assumptions that good things happen to fair/just people, while bad people are punished with suffering. While Job defends that he is innocent and that he did not commit any act to deserve punishment from God, his friends accuse him and ultimately criticize him that he deserved this suffering. Another peer of Job named Elihu speaks up and defends that God is a righteous and just being. Specifically, he states that “touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out. He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice, He will not afflict” (Job 38:23). Elihu offers a different perspective that suffering may be a warning/teaching about the future, and he advises Job not to accuse God for injustice. After these intense and extensive debates with friends, Job is left in despair and demands answers from God. When God responds to Job, He disproves all of Job’s assumptions about Him by showing him how complex and intricate the world truly is. Chapter 39 describes several details about natural phenomena, highlighting God as an all-knowing being. By doing this, God humbles Job and demonstrates that there is a deeper logic behind suffering than Job can ever comprehend as a human. The major lesson from God’s response is that when humans craft assumptions and their own reasoning, they ultimately simplify God’s existence and plan. Therefore, through this teaching, God emphasizes the great importance to always trust in His plan.
The play J.B. written by Archibald Macleish describes Job’s journey in a different light. J.B. begins by acknowledging that Job’s uncertainty is a common human condition, stating that “there is always someone like Job, there must be millions of mankind burned, crushed, broken, mutilated, slaughtered, and for what? For thinking!” (page 12). This statement highlights the idea that it is normal for humans to struggle with uncertainty and experience suffering. By doing this, J.B. relates the experience of Job to the readers, further emphasizing Job’s journey as an example of handing suffering.
J.B. subtly parallels the logic of Job and his peers in the bible, expressing that life events/experiences are a result of human action. For example, in J.B, Job tells his family that “God doesn’t give all this for nothing; a good home, good food, father, mother, brothers, and sisters. We too have our part to play. If we do our part, He does His. He always has. If we forget Him, He will forget. Forever. In everything” (page 30). This statement therefore parallels the logic of Job’s friends in the bible which argues that human suffering is connected to human decision. Although in the bible God never explicitly answers Job’s question of the reason behind suffering, He expresses the importance of humility, repentance, prayer, and trust. The theme of trust is also emphasized in J.B. as Job informs his family that “I trust my luck-my life-our life- God’s goodness to me” (page 38).
Job further explores the logic behind suffering with his family stating that “it isn’t luck when God is good to you, it’s something more” (page 38). Through these words, Job shows awareness of God’s superior knowledge and power, recognizing that there is a deeper meaning behind his suffering. This represents an explicit awareness and surrender to God’s plan which is not as obvious in the bible. For example, although Job is presented as a righteous man in the biblical text, he is also portrayed as ignorant to God’s true greatness, superiority, and complexity by making assumptions and ultimately simplifying God’s plan. However, in J.B., Job is portrayed as a more humble, wise, and experienced individual.
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