Today’s first reading is from Exodus 2:11-22.

Thus it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and saw their burdens. He also saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren of the sons of Israel. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the second day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you hitting your neighbor?” He replied, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses was alarmed and said, “Surely this thing is known.” Thus when Pharaoh heard this matter, he sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who fed the sheep of their father, Jethro, and they came and drew water and filled the toughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. When they came to Ruel, their father, he said to them, “How is it you came so soon today?” They replied, “An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered our sheep.” So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that we may eat bread.” Then Moses dwelt with the man, and he gave Zipporah, his daughter, to Moses. So the woman conceived and bore Moses a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

Moses gave up great wealth and fame and position, all so that he could hear the voice of God. St. Basil the Great writes:

He who hated the pomp of royalty returned to the lowly estate of his own race. He preferred to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of sin. He who, possessing naturally a love for justice on one occasion, even before the government of the people was entrusted to him, was seen inflicting on the wicked punishment to the extent of death because of his natural hatred of villainy. He was banished by those to whom he had been a benefactor. He gladly left the uproar of the Egyptians and went to Ethiopia, and, spending there all his time apart from others, devoted himself for 40 entire years to the contemplation of creation.

Today’s second reading is from Job 2:1-10.

Then again, as it so happened, another day, the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the devil also came among them, to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to the devil, “Where did you come from?” Then the devil said to the Lord, “I came here from walking around under heaven and going about all the earth.” Then the Lord said to the devil, “Have you considered my servant Job, since there is none like him on the earth, an innocent, true, blameless, and God-fearing man, and one who abstains from every evil thing? Moreover, he still holds fast to his integrity, though you told me to destroy his possessions without cause.” Then the devil answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin, whatever a man has he will pay in full for his life. Yet truly, stretch out your hand and touch his bones and his flesh, and see if he will bless you to your face.” So the Lord said to the devil, “Behold, I give him over to you. Only spare his life.” Thus the devil went out from the Lord and struck Job with malignant sores from head to foot. So he took a potsherd to scrape away the discharge and sat on a dung-hill outside the city. When a period of time passed, his wife said to him, “How long will you hold out, saying: Behold, I will wait a little longer, looking for the hope of my salvation?”

No matter what happens to Job, no matter who appeals to him, his only answer is to point to the sovereign will of God. St. John Chrysostom writes:

This text means that if we actually experienced only misfortunes, we would still need to bear them. God is Master and Lord. Does he not possess the power to send us anything? Why did God provide us with our goods? He did not do so because we deserve them. God was absolutely free to send us only afflictions. If had also granted us goods, why do we complain? Notice how Job does not speak anywhere about faults or good actions, but only says that God has the power to do what he wants. Recall your former happiness, and you will have no problem in bearing the present difficulties. It is sufficient, as our consolation, to know that it is the Lord who sends them to us. Let us not speak about justice and injustice.

Our journey through Holy Week will see the fulfillment of our readings from Exodus and Job. Jesus is the new law-giver, who leads us out of slavery to sin into the promised land of his kingdom. And like Job, Jesus is the suffering servant who bears our iniquities and heals our diseases, and by his stripes we are healed.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.