The Book of Job is an anguished and not completely satisfactory attempt to answer a question posed by the sufferings of the innocent. The thinking in Job's time was that good people were rewarded by God in this life and that sinners were punished by God, again in this life. Obviously this way of thinking did not square with real life, but it was unchallenged and unchallengeable. If Job was suffering it was because he was a sinner. Since Job was convinced he was not a sinner he was bewildered.

In Job's time people had virtually no belief in life after death. Logically then there was no possibility that rewards and punishments might come - but not just yet!

Jesus came to tell us about that "not just yet". With great power He routed the forces of evil including sickness and even death. He wanted His disciples to make this world a better place to live in, even here and now. However, He silenced the demons who were endeavouring to portray Him as a solver of problems exclusively within this world. He challenged His disciples by moving away from the scene of His successes, because He sensed they were excited by the prospect of a quick, triumphant campaign under a glorious leader. Jesus wanted the very best but He knew that it would not come in its fullness until the power of sin had been broken. That power would be broken - but not just yet.