Theology with Compassion

The danger of theology without compassion.
Job 11-14
“If you would direct your heart right and spread out your hand to Him…then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect, and you would be steadfast and not fear.” (11:13-15)
Of the three friends, Zophar was the one who had the least to say; however, he was the most condemning. If we have never experienced intense suffering, it is easy to become rigid and condemning. We can be doctrinally correct but lack compassion for people, and in the end, we distort the character and work of God. Such was the case of Zophar. Rather than listening to those who are going through trials, we tend to focus on providing answers without considering their questions. Our preconceived ideas result in rash judgment rather than a listening ear. Doctrinally, he was correct in his view that God is unfathomable in his character and only he possesses true wisdom. However, his view of God was distorted, as he saw only the justice of God without acknowledging God's love and compassion. When we fail to maintain a balance between the love of God and the justice of God, we distort the character of God. We project our perspective upon God. Zophar’s lack of compassion and his failure to understand God’s work amid suffering led him to condemn Job and assume that all suffering is because of sin. When we lack empathy for those going through suffering, the danger is that we place God in a theological straitjacket so that he must act in the way that we think. Zophar, like Bildad and Eliphaz, had a neat, prepackaged understanding of God that did not allow God to act outside their theological box. When Job questioned their perspective, they saw him as attacking and mocking God. The failure of Zophar is that he lacked a comprehensive view of God, which fails to balance both the grace of God and the justice of God.  
In Job’s response, we find a different perspective. In his response, we see both the frustration that comes with suffering and the bedrock of faith. Job responds to their accusations by pointing out that it is easy to see ourselves as superior to those going through adversity and to claim that their suffering is a result of sin. When we minister to people experiencing tragedy, we must guard against an attitude of superiority, thinking that our prosperity stems from our righteousness and their suffering comes from their own sin. Life is far more complex. God acts according to His divine purpose, and His actions encompass both prosperity and adversity (12:13-25). If suffering is a result of sin and blessing is based on righteousness, then ultimately, God is beholden to us and is bound to bless us because we have earned it. He owes it to us. However, Job makes it clear that God is beholden to no one, and He exercises control over both the just and the unjust alike. No one is outside his sovereign power.
 The only proper response is to keep one’s faith in trust despite the circumstances we face. Amid his suffering and his questions about God’s activity, Job still maintains his faith and trust. In 13:15, he again affirms, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” All that he asks of God is that God would reveal to him the reason for his suffering. While his suffering has led Job to question God and His justice, his faith leads him down a different path, one that goes to the heart of faith. Job is confident that in the end, even if he should experience death, he will stand before God and that he will be vindicated (13:18).  
In this passage, we are reminded that faith does not insulate us from life's problems, but it does give us hope and perspective during our trials. When others are suffering, we must be cautious not to become self-righteous and attribute their suffering to their own sin. Likewise, we are to remember that our vindication comes from God, and even if our present circumstances seem to contradict the hope of our faith, we still have security because of God’s grace. Despite his confusion, Job still maintains his trust in God’s plan. Similarly, in our own times of confusion, when adversity seems to contradict our hope, we can still rest in God’s divine activity and trust Him for the outcome. When we face trials in life, perseverance comes when we realign our understanding of God in the totality of His character. This begins by maintaining a perfect balance between his justice and his grace.