JOY AMID SORROW

I Was Just Thinking About – JOY AMID SORROW.

As Jesus prepared His disciples for the experience they would share when He was no longer with them, He said, John 16:19-22, “Are you asking one another why I said, In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me? I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy...You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” The disciples may have been startled by His words but Jesus was preparing them for His personal rejection, trial, suffering and death. Following the death of Lazarus (John 11), Jesus made the statement, “I am the resurrection and life.” He followed this statement with a question: “Do you believe this?”

Another factor that is present pertains to heritage, legacy, influence and values. What have they observed in the life of Jesus? What will they think about at His death? The application of these principles are applicable for each follower of Jesus Christ? In terms of heritage, legacy, influence and values, what will all who know you or know about you think about your life’s priorities when you are no longer physically present in this world? What will your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren want to know and  emulate based upon your life? 

The words and music written by John Mohr (1988) (and sung by Steve Green) summarize the importance of our heritage, legacy, influence and values for those who come behind us. The particular thought-provoking words are: 

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful, 

May the fire of our devotion light their way, 

May the footprints that we leave; 

Lead them to believe, 

And the lives we live inspire them to obey, 

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.

Just like the disciples, we live in an uncertain and hostile world. The words of Jesus Christ are not cherished, neither is the Savior of mankind. In many places of this world, there is persecution of Biblical Christians. Rejection of the Gospel and the teaching of the word of God is a reality. It is startling to read the statistics of Bible Translators who indicate that almost 3 billion people have no knowledge of the Gospel, and the Holy Scriptures have not yet been translated into more than 7,000 languages, dialects or sounds.

The thoughts about heritage, legacy, influence and values reminded me of the words to the Hymn that states the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means for all Biblical Christians. With the death of our eight-year-old Great Grandson, Keaton, on May 11, 2018, and applying some of these truths to his six-year struggle with Leukemia and the legacy and influence he represents, the following words filled my thoughts and resulted in joy that replaced sorrow:

The strife is o’er, the battle done; 

The victory of life is won; 

The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst; 

But Christ their legions has dispersed; 

Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded You, 

In us You’ve won the victory too, 

That we may live, and sing to You: Alleluia!

It is so easy for any person to become bogged down in life and despair because of the reach of our culture. There are moments in the life of the Biblical Christian that can also become bogged down and marked by despair, sorrow and grief. What hope can one have in this life? When the best we can do seems to be wrong, and success in life appears to be out of one’s reach, how can one find relief and escape from the mundane and that which so easily enslaves one to its dictates?

One’s source of being unchained from these feelings and moments is Jesus Christ. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus is in the synagogue and opened the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. He read and applied the prophet’s words as His purpose, mission, and focus: 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 

If you are brokenhearted, Jesus Christ can and will break those chains and grant you His freedom. Do you know Him? Do you believe Him? Jesus Christ is ready, willing and able to embrace you into His free indeed family!

Prayerfully - consider these things with me.