When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecutions against Paul and Barnabus, and drove them out of their region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:48-52
The book of Acts tells stories of early Christian communities in the time just after the crucifixion of Jesus. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the disciples travel far and wide spreading stories of their experience with Jesus. New faith communities are being formed throughout the Mediterranean area. Paul was extremely dedicated to this mission and met with great success. He also met with bitter opposition and was put in jail. He understood the hostility since he, himself, had once persecuted those who were followers of Jesus.
In the story above, we hear of how Paul and Barnabas are essentially run out of town, for fear of their lives. Not only out of town, but out of the region. And we are told that they were filled with joy. Joy? When they have met with antagonism and hostility? When they have been forced to flee? We might expect them to be filled with fear. Or with relief that they got away. Or gratitude that they had been spared. But JOY?
I think a message here is that when we are living out our calling, when we are letting God’s will guide our lives, we are joyful. When we are doing what we know we should be doing, when we are where we know we are supposed to be, we experience joy.
Fulfilling God’s design for our lives may put us in difficult situations. We see that above. We also see it in the Christmas stories of the gospels. Mary is in an awkward position. Joseph is told in a dream not to divorce Mary. He is in an uncomfortable position. The Magi, or wise ones, must avoid Herod. Joseph and Mary escape to Egypt. Several of the characters in the Christmas story are in difficult situations of some kind. And yet they are filled with joy at what they are part of.
When we are fulfilling God’s dreams, we experience joy. But following our faith can lead to complications and problems. It may not be all smooth sailing. Maybe we choose ethics over economics, and our bank account suffers. Maybe we spend our “free” time doing volunteer work to help the poor or outcast instead of cruising the golf course. Maybe we are part of an advocacy movement that leads to being audited by the IRS. Maybe we leave home and family to work in a developing country. Maybe we have a police record for being arrested for civil disobedience. There are many ways that we can follow the teachings of the Gospel and suffer negative consequences in the process. After all, faithfulness got Jesus crucified.
This is an opportunity to reflect on your life, and where you find joy. Is it in service to the Gospel? Are you where you feel you need to be in your life? Are you doing what you are called to do? If you feel filled with joy, then you may be right on track! If you aren’t feeling much joy, maybe you need to think about ways to involve yourself in serving others and sharing God’s love. That just may increase your joy.
Prayer
We are grateful for the life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are glad for how Jesus shows us God’s love. In a life of service, we find our deepest joy and highest good. In this Advent season, as the wise ones followed the star, may we follow God’s leading and guidance wherever it may take us so that our lives are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The theme for this Advent season at Lakewood United Church of Christ is JOY to the World. Each day during the Advent season, a reflection on a scripture passage related to JOY will be posted. We hope these daily reflections help you to have a joy-filled Advent.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 