Jacob's Dilemma

Jacob (aka James) succeeded Jesus as head of his followers after Jesus ascended to the Father - so the various extra-Biblical accounts tell us. You wouldn't know from "Acts", but Luke wasn't writing about Jacob. His focus was Peter and Paul, Jacob being incidental to the story he was telling. But my focus here is the letter Jacob wrote to the faithful, quite possibly the earliest surviving finished piece in the whole Christian Scriptures. He exhorts the faithful as follows (James 5:10,11)...

10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Job's tale presents an interesting dilemma for Jacob's view of God (James 1:12-18)...

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

As Job's tale begins God indulges in a bet with Satan to see if Job really is a true, faithful servant of God, or is just in it for the blessings. Job is reduced to scratching at horrible sores on his body after all his property, servants and children are stripped from him - and he perseveres. Not unreasonably he wants some answers from God about the disaster that has struck him down, and eventually God answers (from out of a storm cloud) with a bunch of counter-questions.

So what's the problem? As the quote above tells us, God tempts no one according to Jacob, but Job found the reality to be somewhat different. Of course we've no idea how the writer of "Job" knew anything about the comings-and-goings of Satan in the Heavenly Realm, and the whole dialogue from Job assumes God has brought about Job's suffering.

In philosophical terms we're talking about the problem of evil - if God is good, as Jacob affirms, then why do the righteous suffer, like Job? Why do evil people succeed and the righteous fail? Jacob tells us...

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Thus God is unchanging and unchanged in His goodness. What might this mean? Here's another Bible verse that might help (Matthew 5:43-48)...

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Thus God is "impartially good" and that's how we should be, to be 'perfect' like Him. Unchanging in our goodness like God's unchanging radiance, as Jacob would put it. So how does the Jacobean theodicy explain the puzzle? I think another parable might give us a clue (Matthew 13:24-30)...

24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

Thus the Apocalyptic End Time is when God will set things right, when the evil will be separated from the good, else the good might be lost too. Jacob emphasised a number of times that the Judge was near, that all should be mindful of the judgement at hand. Of course 2,000 years on that hope is a bit harder to sustain. Job's perseverance has a bit more relevance to Jacob's solution than Jacob ever imagined.