It is ironic
that I should be preaching this morning on the subject of “joy.” When I planned
this worship service a couple of months ago, I had no idea that it would take
place less than a week after 15 strong tornadoes tore through our area of west
central Ohio leaving a trail of destruction in their path. I had no idea that I
would be preaching the day after the funeral of a beloved member of our
congregation. I had no idea that today’s worship would take place so soon after
yet another mass shooting in our country, this time in Virginia Beach where 12
people were gunned down in a city building. The world is a mess; and I know the
struggles that many of my parishioners deal with in their personal lives. So how in the
world, considering all those things, can I preach on joy?
Let’s go
back to this morning’s scripture for a moment. It tells the story of the
Ascension, that miraculous event when the risen Christ left this earth in
bodily form and was lifted up into heaven (Luke 24:44-53). The story closes
with Christ’s followers going home “with great joy.” Great joy? Jesus was gone!
They had lost him once to crucifixion, then regained him on Easter morning; and
now, just 40 days later, they were losing him again! You would think that they
would mourn; but, no, they rejoiced – and rejoiced greatly!
What do you
suppose that one of Jesus’ followers would write to an absent friend about that
event? What would they say if they wrote a postcard and could only write a few
lines about what they had experienced? Let’s imagine what they might say. The
front of the postcard might contain a picture of Jesus rising through the air,
and the message on the back might say: “Saw Jesus for the last time today. Wish
you had been here; it was a great experience! I am filled with joy because…”
Because what? How do you suppose that they would fill in that blank?
Well, on the
back of that postcard, they might write, “I am filled with joy because Jesus is
now ruling our lives from heaven, and I know that he has all authority.” Joy
comes from knowing that the person in charge has your best interests at heart;
and that’s part of the message of the Ascension: that Christ rules right
alongside God; and we know that God rules with love. We don’t live with a
heavenly dictator who is out to get us; we have a heavenly Father who loves us
and a heavenly Brother who saves us. That’s certainly a reason for joy!
They might
write something else, though. They might write, “I am filled with joy because
now I know that God has delightful surprises in store for us when things look
the worst.” Easter Sunday, the most amazing day in the history of the world,
followed Good Friday, the darkest day in the history of the world – and nobody
saw it coming! God has a way of turning even the darkest night into a dawn of
unsurpassing beauty! With God, all things are possible; even things that we
think are impossible! I don’t know
about you, but that certainly fills me
with joy!
That
postcard might even say, “I am filled with joy because I am now certain that
nothing can stand in the way of God’s Kingdom of love.” When Jesus was
crucified, it looked like all the hate and greed of the world had won. But then
Easter morning arrived; and it turned out that all that hate and greed isn’t
worth a plugged nickel when compared with God’s power of love! Love always
wins; and if that isn’t a reason for joy, I don’t know what is!
We
Christians still rejoice about all those things! But if we wanted to send a
postcard to a friend who needed joy in his or her life, we probably wouldn’t
look for one with a picture of Jesus ascending to heaven. What would we look for, though? I don’t know about
you; but I can tell you the kind of postcards that I would want to send.
I might send
a postcard with a picture of a breathtaking waterfall as a reminder that the
earth is full of beauty. Whether it is a waterfall, a sunset, a flower garden,
or a splash of color on a bird, God has given us not only beautiful things; God
has given us the ability to enjoy them! That never fails to give me joy, even
when my life is difficult.
I might send
a card with a photo of people who are helping others clean up after a natural
disaster. The late, beloved minister and TV personality Mr. Rogers always told
children that when times are hard, they should look for the helpers, the people
who come to offer help and comfort. What joy there is in knowing that people
care, even people that we don’t know personally! The Spirit of God moves in
hearts who help others at the most difficult times in their lives; and that
gives me joy.
I might send
a postcard of the ocean; because it gives me joy to consider the reliability of
God’s creation. The tides of the ocean roll in and out, day after day, as the
moon circles the earth and pulls the water back and forth; all without any help
from us. We can rely on it. And we can rely on God’s love even more than we can
rely on the tides! What joy there is in knowing that!
But my
favorite post card image would be one with an image of a flower growing through
a crack in the sidewalk. I get the most joy from knowing that all the things in
this world that matter the most – things like beauty, creativity, and love –
can’t be stifled no matter how many difficulties are piled on top of them. Like
flowers that poke their noses through blankets of asphalt, these
good gifts of God insist on breaking through into our lives regardless of all
the troubles that we may have.
So maybe
it’s appropriate, after all, to preach on joy during a week when so many of us
are going through difficult times. C. S. Lewis wrote that “Joy is the serious
business of heaven.” And he was absolutely right! Today, whatever troubles your
life may hold, I invite you to find joy in the reliability, beauty, renewal,
and love that God offers us; because while difficulties are only temporary, those
are the realities that last forever.
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