There was a man in the land of Uz named Job. That man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
[...]
One day the divine beings presented themselves before the Becoming One. The Adversary came along with them to present himself before the Becoming One. The Becoming One said to the Adversary, “Where have you been?”
The Adversary answered the Becoming One, “I have been roaming all over the earth.”
The Becoming One said to the Adversary, “Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil. He still keeps his integrity; so you have incited me against him to destroy him for no good reason.”
The Adversary answered the Becomig One, "Skin for skin—all that a human man has he will give up for his life. But lay a hand on his bones and his flesh, and he will surely blaspheme You to Your face.”
So the Becoming One said to the Adversary, “See, Job is in your power; only spare his life.”
The Adversary departed from the presence of the Becomig One and inflicted a severe inflammation on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. He took a potsherd to scratch himself as he sat in ashes.
His wife said to him, “You still keep your integrity! Blaspheme God and die!”
But he said to her, “You talk as any shameless woman might talk! Should we accept only good from God and not accept evil?” For all that, Job said nothing sinful.
Queeries for the text:
What is missing from the text?
How is theodicy apparent?
What does shameless mean?
Where else is shameless used in the Tanakh?
How is shameless a good thing?
How is this text problematic?
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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.
2Some religious authorities came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3Jesus answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
4They said, “Moses allowed a human man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.”
5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made humanity with many and no genders.’ 7‘For this reason a person shall leave their parents and be joined to their spouse, 8and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer distinct persons, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10Then in the house the disciples asked Jesus again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whichever husband divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
13People were bringing little children to Jesus in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the reign of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the reign of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16And Jesus took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Queeries for the text:
Where were they?
Why do we test Jesus?
What's the difference between what is lawful and what is right?
Where is the power?
What happens with divorce?
What counts as adultery? What doesn't?
How do children receive the reign of God?
How have children been discarded?
What are your queeries?
