Empathic Godly Hospitality

Job 2:11-13

    11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 

    13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job has such adversity after losing all his children and wealth that his three friends came quickly to his side, having first agreeing to all meet together in support.  They came from three different areas to meet together to mourn with their suffering friend Job.  They mourned with him, sharing in his pain and grief.  They also tried to comfort Job, offering their presence and verbal encouragement.  Their grief was exasperated by seeing Job as they approached him, covered in oozing inflamed boils.  Each of them hardly recognized their friend it was so bad, and so they wept aloud and grieved in the middle eastern way, with torn clothes and dust on their heads in despair.  It was so terrible a sight that they literally did not say a word to Job for a full week out of empathy and sympathy.  We learn here the words of Romans 12:15 to weep with those who weep (1 Corinthians 12:26 also).  It is easy to join in rejoicing with another, but not always to really feel their pain of suffering through adversity in oppressive and long-enduring circumstances.  May we follow this part of the example set by the friends of Job to go out of our way to offer comfort and encouraging counsel, especially with one or two other close friends of the one suffering.  This is godly hospitality, an example of empathic godly hospitality by the friends of Job who traveled from different points of the compass to empathize and comfort him in time of need.