May the mumbling commence!
From where does unbridled joy flow? Let’s find the answer from a couple of passages in the gospel of Luke:
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." (10: 21-24)
All the fullness of joy comes from the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit works alongside Jesus to reveal our heavenly Father. The relationships amongst the persons of the Trinity are revelatory. It is through rightful relationships that joy is found to abound.
It is through knowing that we are all little children of God that abundant joy flows. Healthful relationships give God good pleasure, because the joy is rightly shared so that it may abound. These relationships are the positive path to joy.
What are some of the things in life that cannot produce joy in and of themselves? Joy is hidden from the wise and learned. Too often, humanity tries to make things more complicated than they need to be. There is some sense of comfort and satisfaction in complicating things, because when failure comes it is easier to accept.
When we complicate things, we miss the forest for the trees. Wisdom can only be found in relating well to God and to others. To look for wisdom anywhere else is futile.
Well, what about status? Can we find true pleasure and joy from our status? Kings and prophets were not permitted to see what the followers of Jesus’ way see. Some of them may have seen our blessedness from afar, but they never attainted it.
Titles and status cannot create true pleasure and joy – they are only found in an innocent and trusting and obedient child of God.
Well, what about money? The Beatles told us that money cannot buy us love. But, can’t we buy happiness with money? Read from Luke chapter twelve:
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Verses 13-21)
Yes, money can buy possessions. But possessions, by themselves, cannot give us joy. In fact, if we hoard our possessions, they will make us miserable. Joy will come as we show ourselves rich toward God and God’s little ones.
Joy will come as we hold our wisdoms and positions and possessions lightly. After all, all we have belongs to God. Joy will come as we leave our own agendas behind and embrace rightful relationships with God, humanity, and the beautiful creation that surrounds us.
Real joy!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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