The Wisdom Hermeneutic of the Jacobian View of Pain and Suffering
K. K. YEO, Northwestern University, USA
Abstract:
The Book of James has a Hebraic view of suffering and death. Like the author of Ecclesiastes, James accepts that life and death are tragedies; but like Job, James praises God for life as divine grace. The article explicates Jamesian hermeneutic from Jewish traditions. It explains how the suffering Messiah motif impacts James’ understanding of life. The article ends with the ways in which the truth, the goodness and the beauty of life could be appreciated and lived out as God’s grace. The thesis of the article demonstrates the compatibility of James’ wisdom with that of his predecessors—God’s transcendental wisdom cannot be fully comprehended. James teaches that faith in the Messiah and friendship with God gives the believer hope and power to overcome sin and pain in life. James believes that though the cause of suffering is a mystery, friendship with God empowers individuals to face life, death and hardship.
Keywords:
James/Jacob, Jewish Wisdom, Messiah, Third Day, Pain and Suffering
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