In my Rabbinic Literature class, I was asked to share a reflection on the teachings of Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who made some profound statements about suffering and prayer. The information and quote are directly below my reflections.
IS IT BIBLICAL TO ARGUE WITH G-D?
Is it possible that while "arguing is not the goal in a marriage, it is a way to evolve together?" Nicolas mentioned the possibility that arguing with G-d, may help EVOLVE our relationship with Him. Another example was shared regarding a relationship with a father and son, demonstrating the benefits of this kind of humble and honest arguing. “A boy cries out sometimes with anger towards a father, but it’s not forever. Maybe when we cry to the father, it is a display of faith on some level,” he also shared. This challenged my thinking.
In many ways, I agree. But in some ways, I must question whether this is biblical. The story of Job shows G-d was not pleased when Job argued with Him. Nor was G-d pleased when Jacob wrestled with him. “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” (Job 40:2 NIV)
A prayer filled with “tears,” on the other hand, almost always comes from a heart of humility, reverence, and submission. Tears, because they are likely accompanied by a humble and submissive heart (to God’s will), seem biblical. Is it possible then to argue with God while maintaining a heart of humility? Is it possible for our hearts to maintain a posture of submission to God’s will while our lips protest?
MY CONCLUSION & LESSON LEARNED?
My conclusion is that the Lord sees our motives when we argue with Him. If we say in our hearts, “Your will be done,” and we enter His gates with humility, perhaps it is biblical. Remember the “boy who whistled” in last week’s story pleased the rabbi and pleased the Lord because in his heart, he was begging for mercy.
The most important lesson I received from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’ teaching today is this: as believers in G-d (and especially as believers in Yeshua), our goal ought to be empowered, passionate prayer, not pity parties. Hypothetically speaking, if an atheist and a believer were in a boxing ring, the atheist would be passively uninspired and unempowered with his lack of prayer.
The atheist would grow weary in doing good and give up in disbelief. A believer would fight. The boxer who is a believer knows there is One who can conquer suffering when all hope seems lost. Therefore, we in turn must fight and believe with empowered, not passive, prayer. We must enter G-ds presence with a humble heart, crying out, even when there is suffering.
MY QUESTION FOR DEBATE...
One question remains: Do we fight/argue against flesh and blood, or do we fight with the Lord, Adonai? For us, as Messianic believers, we fight the enemy. We cry to G-d with humility. Do you agree that this is more biblical? May the Lord be pleased as we pray, and may He have mercy upon us.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)
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Assignment:
Our passage:
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), who served as Chief Rabbi of the British
Commonwealth for 22 years, was one of the most influential Modern Orthodox Jewish thinkers of our time. In this passage from his teachings on Judaism and theodicy [the problem of good and evil], Sacks articulates a distinctively Jewish theology of prayer that emphasizes protest and wrestling with God rather than passive acceptance of suffering, a perspective that offers profound insights into the nature of faithful prayer in the face of injustice.
"Judaism is not a religion of submission. It is a religion of protest. To pray is to argue with God, to challenge the injustice of the world... Sometimes the most profound prayer is a tear. A tear is a prayer the heart writes when the lips can no longer speak."
"There are prayers that come from the head, and prayers that come from the heart. And there are prayers that come from the deepest place of all, from our tears. The Sages said that since the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer are sometimes closed. But the gates of tears are never closed.
Sometimes, the most powerful prayer is a cry. It is the protest of a suffering soul to a God who, we believe, listens to our pain and counts every one of our tears. To be a Jew is to know that faith is not a shield from suffering, but a way of facing suffering with courage and with hope, and sometimes, with arguments."
(A synthesis of teachings from Rabbi Sacks)