Surprised
by Joy: Easter Sunday
O, poor Mary
and Mary. They were crying and grieving
over the unjust execution of their Master.
They saw Him die on the cross.
They received His dead body once it came down from the cross. They wrapped his dead body in linen, and
where there when the placed Him in the tomb.
His death was deeply engrained in their hearts.
Then Easter
morning comes, and surprise! Jesus is
alive. Initially, this was a surprise
beyond belief. How could this be? How
can one be dead one day and alive 2 days later?
They were surprised by joy---a deep joy, life changing joy---a joy that
would stay with them forever. They were
so joyful that they ran into town to share the Good News, which they continued
to share for the rest of their lives.
I bet that
many of you have been surprised by joy at one time or another.
I was surprised by joy when my children were
born. WOW. Birth is not an unusual
occurrence: it happens many times every day.
But this was first time it happened to us. And I intellectually understood what was going
to happen. But when Patrick was born,
and then 2 years later when Anna was born, I was so surprised by joy. I was high as a kite. I just wanted to tell anyone, who would
listen, of this miracle of life. To this
day, it still seems incomprehensible. We were thrilled that Jesus had answered
our prayers with these two lovely children.
And the surprise of their birth changed me: I just wanted to give and
give to my family, and was inspired through the 20 odd years that they were our
responsibilities.
Many of us
have been surprised by joy in marriage, through children, through graduations,
through reconciliations with formerly estranged friends, through new jobs,
through hard won accomplishments, through major purchases, like a car or a
home, or whatever.
Of course, some of us here today feel like we
have been robbed of our joy. Severe
financial down turns, poor health, the loss of a job, or a or a home, or the
death of a loved one, can devastate us
and leave us without hope. We are not
denying the reality of pain & suffering.
However,
there is good news for both joyful people and not joyful people: The
resurrection of Jesus Christ can be the basis of a permanent & eternal joy,
which can never take away from us. You see, when we decide to embrace and love
Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, His spirit comes deep within us. He works
in our hearts to plant a fountain of joy.
Sometimes it may seem like that fountain goes dry; but it always bubbles
back.
This is what
King David is saying in our reading from the Psalms: Though David was beaten
and assaulted by His enemies, David was surprised how God’s love saved him and
filled his heart with joy.
You see, we
need to understand that there is a difference between “happiness” and “true
joy.” Happiness is based on the
circumstances of my life—the good, the bad and the ugly. But true JOY is based in the fact that Jesus
rose to the dead, and pours his joy into our hearts now, tomorrow, and forever.
This is what
the bible says, “Those with faith can expect JOY; but the hopes of the wicked
come to nothing (Prov. 10:28)
C.S. Lewis
was one of the great Christian authors of the last century. Many of you may
know of his most famous book, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. One of his famous books is entitled, “Surprised
by Joy.” In this book, remembers the joy
that he had with his family. But his
mother died tragically and unexpectedly, and he spend years looking for the joy
of his childhood. He describes his spiritual journey of coming to love the Risen
Lord. With each new step, as he grew
spiritually, he. discovered mile posts of joy…. which kept getting better, and
better, and better.
Finally, he
made a commitment to love and serve God forever, and His life changed. He was surprised by the joy he
experienced—which was deeper and richer than any he had experienced before.
This joy provided and undergirding for all his life, even at the untimely death
of his wife. He appropriately grieved,
and soon God’s joy began to return.
I have heard
from some members in our local community that Christ Church is known by some as
“The Happy Church.” They see and hear of all the exciting and fun gatherings,
where all are welcome and included. But
those who visit us see something in addition--- they see our JOYFUL
WORSHIP. Joyful worship is a chief
priority of Christ Church, because every Sunday is a mini celebration of
the first Easter. So, we experience joy
through song, praise, prayer, and positive preaching. We experience joy because
for us, worship is not a spectator sport; but it is a time when we express our
love to God, who in turns releases His joy as we put our whole hearts into
worshipping Him.
Now, some of
you may be wondering if this joy is really as wonderful as described by the
Bible. Well, let us see how God’s joy
has worked out in the life of one person.
Today, Cathy Lee has agreed to tell us some about her experience with
God’s joy. So, let us welcome her, shall
we?
--The Rev.
John Donnelly
No comments:
Post a Comment