What Is the Real Cause of Our Suffering?

When Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place… to show him sympathy and comfort him.

Job 2:11

Job had some friends who were worried about his spiritual condition, and so they came to comfort him in his loss. They should be commended for that.

These friends felt quite sure that Job’s suffering must be a direct consequence of some sin in his life, and they wanted him to come clean and tell them what it was.

But Job maintained his innocence. In Job 31, he goes through a catalogue of sins and calls down judgements on himself if he has been guilty of any of them:

“If I have walked with falsehood (31:5), if my step has turned aside from the way (31:7), if my heart has been enticed toward a woman (31:9), if I have withheld anything that the poor desired (31:16), if I have… eaten my morsel alone (31:16-17), if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing (31:19), if I have raised my hand against the fatherless (31:21), if I have made gold my trust (31:24), if I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me (31:29), if I have concealed my transgressions” (31:33)… But I didn’t do any of these things!

If any of these things are true of me, “let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley” (31:40). The words of Job are ended. The defence rests its case. What Job really wants is an audience with God. He’d like to ask God some questions.

Would you tend to agree with Job or his friends? Why?