Job+Jesus+Mythic Triads = The Gift of Friendship on This Holy Day

Job 6:14-15

Holiday greetings are exchanged by many millions in our world today.

Jews and Christians celebrate our hope in myth and miracles: Let There be Light, for one and for all. Let joy and justice rise again.

This year, these two festivals of light align, illuminating the darkest days of winter and the ongoing horrors of violence and war - with a shared message of optimism and resilience.

As many of us share gifts with each other on this day, I am reflecting on the priceless gift of friendship - and on the surprising link between the three friends who show up in the Book of Job - and three wise men of the Christmas story.

It’s a bit of a stretch - but worthwhile exploring..

Job’s story is famously one of suffering and spiritual resilience. After losing everything—his children, his wealth, his health—Job is visited by three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They come to comfort him, but their efforts falter. Rather than sitting with Job in his pain, they offer speeches, trying to explain his suffering through theological logic. Eliphaz speaks of divine justice, Bildad defends tradition, and Zophar chastises Job for his supposed arrogance. Their words fall short, and instead of consoling Job, they deepen his isolation.

Today’s chapter of Job echoes his response to Eliphaz, the first of the three friends who so far has spoken and managed to enrage Job with righteous words that cast the blame for pain - on his own actions.

Job’s response is raw and in it is the yearning for the kind of friends who don’t abandon one another at the time of deepest need:

לַמָּס מֵרֵעֵהוּ חָסֶד וְיִרְאַת שַׁדַּי יַעֲזוֹב׃ אַחַי בָּגְדוּ כְמוֹ־נָחַל כַּאֲפִיק נְחָלִים יַעֲבֹרוּ׃

“To him that is afflicted love is due from his friend; or else he forsakes the awe of the Almighty.

My brother have dealt deceitfully like a dry riverbed , and like the water courses which disappear”

Job 6:14-15

This is Job’s cry for human compassion amid divine silence, a plea that echoes across faiths and centuries.

What do the three magicians who are part of the Christian Nativity narrative have to do with this?

These three wise men—often depicted as coming from distant lands—follow a star to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. Guided by wonder, they bring gifts rich in meaning: gold for kingship, frankincense for divinity, and myrrh for suffering and sacrifice. They don’t offer explanations or judgments; instead, they offer presence, humility, and reverence.

What can we learn from these two triads? Both Job’s friends and the Magi represent the human quest to connect with the divine in moments of uncertainty. But while Job’s friends fail in their task, the Magi succeed—not because they are wiser, but because they lead with humility and action rather than words.

This year, as Christmas and Hanukkah overlap, in the midst of so much suffering, lives and friendships lost, these woven mythic stories might remind us of the power of friendship to transcend boundaries of faith and culture.

Hanukkah is a celebration of resilience in the face of oppression, of light enduring against all odds. Christmas, too, is a story of hope born in the humblest of places. Together, they remind us that in times of despair, what matters most is showing up for one another—not with easy answers, but with the gift of presence and devotion.

Our world is scarred by war, displacement, and division. So let this rare convergence of Christmas and Hanukkah inspire us to be like the Magi, or to redeem the mistakes of Job’s friends. May we bring gifts of compassion, solidarity, and hope—to those who need them most.

To my Christian friends, Merry Christmas. To my Jewish family, Happy Hanukkah. And to all of us, may this season of light guide us toward a brighter, hopeful and more united world.

Let there be light and love for all.

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