Complete Joy

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

John 15:11 NKJV

These days, there is a growing frenzy to move from one place to another, from one store to another, in the urban chaos of the upcoming holidays. The marathons for traditional gifts will be followed by gastronomic tours, from house to house, from table to table. After all, the common goal is to be kinder. At least that's what I hear people say, and it makes me smile when I think about how far reality is from words. Culinary delicacies and kindness of heart do not go hand in hand. Certainly, the willingness and commitment to show benevolence and give a nod to those in need with some gesture of solidarity is commendable. However, we should not perform actions “to clear our conscience,” praising ourselves for our human attempt to pay off a debt of love with alms. I believe that goodness cannot be relegated to a duty to be fulfilled, as if our meager attentions these days had the capacity to give lasting satisfaction. I am among those who are committed to bringing Jesus back to the center of daily life and making the Bible a lamp unto our feet, and for this reason I believe that such a practice is out of tune with the words of the Master.

In Bethlehem, the angel announced to the shepherds a great joy connected with the birth of Christ (Luke 2:10-11). Without Him there is no celebration, neither in the air nor in the heart. Decorations and lights will not be enough to dispel the clouds of various concerns. Every mask of hypocrisy will last very little. And so, in the final hours of his earthly ministry, Jesus reminds us that it is his intention that we dwell in joy and that his joy be complete in us. It is not a matter of a beautiful banquet, but of an inner condition that finds direct expression in our actions. The apostle Paul praised the Thessalonians for preaching the Gospel in Macedonia and Achaia through a faith that was made concrete in their brotherly love. The apostle exhorted them, who were working so hard with joy despite the afflictions and sufferings they were facing, to do more, to “walk in a manner worthy of God,” since “this is the will of God: your sanctification.” These words should be the guidebook for this period, instructing each person to “possess his vessel in holiness and honor, not in unruly passions.” Evidently, each person will know how to examine his own life and discern what is honorable from what is disorderly.

To this he adds the exhortation to love one another (v. 9) as we wait for the time when “we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” This is the biblical certainty that brings consolation to our hearts. Until then, there will be no day without its troubles. The apostle's words echo Jesus, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,” and again, “This I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:12 and 17). It is not so much a matter of being good, but of feeling for others what Christ felt for each of us, to the point of giving his life. The words of the Gospel exhort us to be branches attached to the vine, to abide in him so that we do not first become dry and then withered to be burned. If one does not abide in the love of Jesus and consequently does not keep His commandments, one cannot experience the promised joy. The (supposed) Christian who lives his faith according to the calendar and adorns himself with joy only on feast days is like the wretched man who hopes in Christ only for this life (1 Corinthians 15:19). Let us admit that we often pursue joy understood as happiness or excitement. What Jesus offers is not the pleasure of a life of comfort; rather, it is what comes from being right with God and consciously walking in His love and care. It is the only joy that can truly be “full,” “filled” like a vessel into which liquid is poured to the brim.

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Weekly Bible Reading Plan #51

December 15,   Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

December 16,   Amos 4-6; Revelation 7

December 17,   Amos 7-9; Revelation 8

December 18, Obadiah; Revelation 9

December 19, Jonah; Revelation 10

December 20, Micah 1-3; Revelation 11

December 21, Micah 4-5; Revelation 12