God's joy comes before the Cross - Advent 3
The joy of God exists before the cross. This flows from a premise of being made first and importantly in love. Before the fall, God held joy in us and before we were even born God knows us all with Joy.
Sermon's are preached in a particular location, often there are points that are less appropriate or more appropriate in one location then the other. This sermon doesn't contain hyper local references in it's pre-written form however it does come from a western city context in the East of Australia.
Scriptures: James 5.7-10, Matthew 11.2-11
Today we celebrate Joy in our advent wreath. Joy is only considered a good thing which is shared by human beings. Joy also is more tangible then happiness. To be happy is a reaction to our lives. Good things come and we show happiness, we can even be ecstatic. If bad things come, happiness flows away. Joy is different, it is a deliberate action and choice. We can be disappointed, hurt and sick but can be joyful. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, happiness is not. God can experience Joy and if Happiness is so variable on circumstance, and God is unchangeable maybe happiness is a very human emotion and Joy is different once again. This time around eight years ago my workplace was having a secret Santa and a brief colleague gave me a Mr Happy mug. He described me as always happy... but I was actually having an awful time. I was gifted with and could express Joy despite my heart ache. It was tangible, others noticed it although it was described as happy, it was joy.
We know in Australia that Farmers express happiness at rain, within reason. A dry field needs rain for any growth and therefore the livelihood for the farmer; at times of the year a farmer needs more rain to ensure the crop and the Bible's saying of Early and Late Rains resembles this. In the region of Palestine the farmers knew they needed the early rains in October and November to germinate seeds. The Late rains in April and May then matured the harvest. Without either, it didn't matter what happened in December to march the crop would essential fail. In James it is the farmer who is waiting for a precious crop. The ways are joyful, positive in nature but happiness doesn't fit the potential emotion; the farmer is waiting joyfully.
I am trying to write a reflection for every Sunday, however today I was preaching and my energy went into this sermon. To read the rest I really would appreciate the sign up!
I plan to keep my usual reflections completely open access which are far more regular then sermons.
Patience in James is an active choice, similar to the deliberate action of joy. James combines them together, to have patience without grumbling; a joyful patience with one another while waiting for the coming of the Lord. Both Matthew and James are written in similar situations. Both are after the destruction of the temple and the Jewish war, both written in the geographical area of Palestine, both were to be distributed widely not to a specific community. They weren't having a great time all around but the patience in suffering will also show Joy. If they lead themselves to frustration, it won't be patient, it brews to the surface, like a farmer who is angry at a failed crop. As Christians, Advent is a season for Patience, both towards Christmas but more importantly the coming of the Lord, despite our present situation. We are called to be joyful in this waiting, and I would say the whole development of western Christmas gives many opportunities to share this joy with others despite the commercialisation.
When we turn to our gospel, we see the dynamic of John and Jesus coming to the surface. John is confused as Jesus is so different. The miracles that are happening say that Jesus is the Messiah, yet his actions don't match the heralding prophet wearing camel hair and eating wild honey. Jesus instead is feasting with the outcasts on both sides of the equation. I say both sides because for Jesus everyone was an outcast due to the fall. The tax-collector seeing Jesus talking and feasting with a pharisee would have felt he couldn't approach Jesus. If the Pharisee saw the tax-collector feasting with Jesus it is the same story with different reasons. In reality it seems Jesus reached across this divide with a godlike efficiency; of course he is God, a person of the Trinity. Feasting and drinking are connected to Joy in a harvest. I did a Greek word study on "late rains" throughout the New and Greek Old Testament. Only James mentions it in the New testament but throughout the Old Testament it is often connected to feasting and drinking and as James was writing to the Diaspora they would have connected that same Greek word in their scriptures. Jesus brings this joy, feasting and celebrating before the Cross; and if we know the Father through the Son we learn something about God's joy in us.
The joy of God exists before the cross. This flows from a premise of being made first and importantly in love. Before the fall, God held joy in us and before we were even born God knows us all with Joy. Love is why Jesus died, not the fall; if it was just the fall, the Joy we see Jesus have before the saving action doesn't make much sense. This idea transforms our view outside our building. That every human being is beloved and joy is found by the good in all of us. There was Joy in us before we knew Christ and after. If we think of the worst possible person we know, we have to wrestle with the idea that at a seemingly impossible level God finds joy in that person, in the good actions done even if they are minute. The millions of harmful actions that happen each day, yet a good action can still bring Joy and we can still choose Joy despite the harm. Because the as the Pharisee judged Christ himself for being with the tax collector, the harmful grumbling, Christ feasted with Joy anyway. In this I don't diminish the cross or our Salvation but uplift humanity where all of Jesus' actions make sense.
A song I listen to often, from an artist called Richlin, he has some great songs, one is Good Mood,
There's been some miscommunication, misinterpretation
Some say "God is love, but full of aggravation"
Some say, "He don't talk to you unless you're perfect, too"
But if you know Him, you can laugh 'cause you know that ain't true
Here's some good theology that'll set you free
When He looks at you, He is only pleased, indeed
Not because of what you do, but who you're tethered to
And they wonder why we call it "good news"?
I think God is joyful because I'm his child, I find my Salvation in Christ and that brings Joy too, but God loved me first and will love me always despite Salvation under Christ, God loves me despite who I am "tethered to". So when I look out in the world, we are ALL called to be evangelists but that comes first from love, and through that we can be joyful in others, even those who have renounced and have no interest in Christ. So we take time and celebrate with others even when it is odd like Jesus did, we take times of waiting with Joy when able or we pray to be gifted by joy, we actively be patient with all people, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ and we go out knowing that God is the farmer, enjoying the Late and Early rains taking Joy in our lives and all those we see each day.
Who was joyful in us before our birth, our salvation and our whole lives.
Let us walk into our communities filled with the gift of Joy,
That we can see others like you do, and spread Joy like you do.
In your Son's name who showed us this way of Joy,
Amen
Bibliography
Eng, Daniel K. Eschatological Approval: The Structure and Unifying Motif of James. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2022.
Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Repr. with updated bibliography. Sacra Pagina Series / Daniel J. Harrington, Ed 1. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Pr, 2007.
Hartin, Patrick J. James. Sacra Pagina 14. Collegeville (Minn.): The Liturgical press, 2003.
Stevenson, Ryan Dale, Tyrus Dean Morgan, Brandon Richardson, and Zach Holmes. Good Mood. Performed by Richlin. Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing, 2022.
Witherington, Ben. Matthew. The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon, Ga: Smyth & Helwys Pub, 2006.
