Christ’s Joy in You

In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to his disciples: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

It is fascinating to me to think Jesus spoke these words on the eve of his death, knowing he was headed to the cross… It is clear that there was a depth of joy within him that could not be shaken.  

I can just imagine the disciples, in light of all that Jesus revealed would unfold, they had to wonder: How could Jesus experience joy in the face of the cross? How could they?

And then I think about John’s community, facing rejection and persecution.  Did they find in Christ’s words a deeper understanding of the nature of joy, what it is, and where it comes from?

And finally what about us?

I was listening to an interview with Desmond Tutu some time back. And he was asked how could he be so joyful, and how he could hold on to hope at such desperate times as these. And he responded:

“Hope says… hey, things can, things will be better, because God has intended for it to be so. You know? At no point will evil and injustice and oppression… have the last word. And, yes, there’s no question about the reality of evil, of injustice, of suffering. But, you know, at the center of this existence is a heart beating with love; that you, and I, and all of us are incredible. I mean, we really are remarkable things – that we are, as a matter of fact, made for goodness.”  

He was then asked, I think people look at you and the life you’ve lived, and also… the bad things that you’ve endured, and the terrible things that happen in the rest of the world, and they might say, This guy says this is a moral universe? And there’s this line that you’ve just echoed – you’ve written this so many times – “God is in charge.” And they might say, How can he say that? I mean, tell me, you’ve been saying “God is in charge” for a long time: for decades. And so what do you mean when you say that?

And he laughed – that joyful laugh he had. And he said, “Well, I mean, you must add that I’ve sometimes said to God, It would be nice for you to make this slightly more obvious!”

As we face the complexities of our everyday lives, as we hear the news of protests on college campuses, as we experience enormous social and political division, as we carry worry and anxiety for our own families… how do we hear Jesus’ words: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete”?

Let us pray: God of Hope, even in the face of the difficulties of life, fill us with unshakable joy and hope; through Jesus Christ. Amen.