Job 6:24-30 – Be gentle and compassionate in dealings with the hurting

Exasperated by Eliphaz’s insensitive accusations, Job requested his three friends to tell him where he had gone wrong. He wanted to know exactly where he had sinned, and how his sins should warrant such a severe punishment. He assured them that if they could pinpoint to him exactly where he had gone wrong, he would hold his peace forever.  Job was seeking answers to his plight and not asking for monetary gift, nor for help to deliver him from some enemies, or from robbers that had held him captive. He was only asking them to tell him where his supposed sins were.

Job was aware that words could be powerful and hurtful as well. What he would welcome was for them to be forthright, and honestly and truthfully told where he had gone wrong. What he could not stomach was words that were baseless innuendoes. To him, Eliphaz’s words were as wind. They flew pass meaninglessly without bringing any lasting impact. He evaluated the words in the light of how he had conducted his life and found the accusations heartless, judgmental and severe. He deemed his three friends as heartless creditors going after an orphan who had just been bereft of his parents. He was sad that they should go after him so ruthlessly even though he was a friend.  

Job maintained his innocence. He urged his accusers to look him in the face and tell him where he had gone wrong. He insisted that they could discern if he was speaking the truth. He wanted to be proven guilty if they felt that it was so. But deep in his heart of hearts he knew that he did nothing wrong to warrant the calamity. He insisted that as a reasonable person, he could tell whether he had offended the Almighty or not. And that being the case, he could certainly tell right from wrong.

Everyone deserves the right to maintain his innocence till proven guilty. Isn’t that the rule of the game? We Christians of all people should know this. Let us not assume a person is guilty till we know he had truly done something wrong. And even if that person had done wrong, we should reprove him gently, and honestly help the person out of the trouble. Always consider the perspective of our personal unworthiness. We all had owed a debt we could not pay, and Jesus paid our debt which He did not owe. So, let’s be compassionate. Correct by all means, but please be gentle and compassionate, especially with one who is not a recalcitrant.