Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
August 9, 2026
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras

Pentecost 11A

Job 38:4-8   4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.  5 Who determined its measurements–surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?  6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone,  7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?  
—
Job is Jesus! 

It is easy to determine in the first few chapters of this ancient liturgy that we call the Book of Job. But no so much in these penultimate chapters. 

In the beginning Job is a perfectly righteous man whose wealth was endless. He made Elon Musk look like a pauper. But he was above all faithful to God. He prayed and sacrificed to God every day of his life. He especially prayed for his 10 children that they avoid temptation and sin against God; even as Jesus our own High Priest prays for us. And he was generous, even as our Lord Jesus is generous to us. No one who came to him for help ever walked away the worse for it. But he gave and gave and gave from his “abundant riches” (Phi. 4:19) even as did and even as does our Lord today. And so ask, seek and knock and you will receive.

Job deserved no evil to come his way, and this positively flummoxed Satan, that former “angel of light” who now gave off negative lumens and scattered thick mental and moral darkness wherever he goes. Yes, even still today. And you know the story – or can read it at home in chapters one and two of the Liturgy according to St. Job. 

At Satan’s inciting God allowed him, Satan that is, to take away all of Job’s earthly possessions – except for his nagging wife – which we might relate to the church, the Bride of Christ, before she her Bridal Baptismal Bath. He lost all of his stored up wealth, his ongoing livelihood and worst of all his dear children. Even as Jesus “lost” so to speak his children to the Father of Lies who murdered us all by sin. But as Jesus later says: Behold I and the children you have given me.” (Hebrews 2). 

The first thing Job did upon his utter losses is the fall down on his face and worship God! The very thing Adam did NOT do, nor do we in the face of disaster – and we have all faced disasters, haven’t we?

Later as this liturgy proceeds Job who was at first faithful turns bitter in the face of all his sufferings, his false friends, his nagging wife. But he maintains communication with his God even of only to ask: Why? And if you haven’t read Job lately now would be a great time to do so. Yes his prayers turn very bitter. And in the end, this 38th chapter which is in our readings for Pentecost 11A the LORD takes Job to task. And here we must remember the fully human nature of Jesus. Here he was bearing our sins, displaying our ignorance and raging with our anger. And so God takes Jesus our Substitute to task. The LORD here is talking to us when he says to Job:

Job 38:4-8   4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.  5 Who determined its measurements–surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?  6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone,  7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?  

As we know Job later repented even as we must all regret and relent as regards our stubborn love of and addiction to sin. And Job was not only fully restored, but as Isaiah says of our generous God: he will pay back double for all that we lost in sin. And so he did. He have Job twice as much as he started with! The Bible makes this strict rule: A man reaps what he sows. But not where God is involved. Isaac received 100x as much as the planted “because the LORD blessed him,” and here Job does the same – and above all our LORD Jesus receives his creation back “double” in quality if not in quantity. 

He also gets his children back. All 10 of them, and it is said in the last chapter that his daughters were the most comely women to be found anywhere. And why not? They are daughters of the Great King. Jesus the King of Israel and the King of Creation. He who is: King of kings and Lord of lords. 

But let us take special notice of 38:7 where the LORD says to Job, Where were you … when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Beloved in Christ, in the “Society of St. Job” if you like – we are those Sons of God who shout for joy with all the saints and angels of heaven. With all the stars, which we also are and like whom we will shine forever in Christ. Because he suffered and was buried and raised again and ascended and lives and reigns and will return again for us. 

That is why today in his very Divine Liturgy we indeed shout for joy with all the church of Heaven and Earth. And that is no exaggeration. No, We don’t pray to the saints or to the BVM, but we must acknowledge them all as our fellow worshipers with whom we will live in God forever. Amen.