Joyful Jesus (2)
Luke 15:1-7 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (NRSV)
The world’s full of cheap imitations, knockoffs of expensive brands pretending to be the real thing, yet literally falling apart on you when you need them most.
Perhaps happiness, too, is something of an imitation of the real thing – joy. Don’t get me wrong. We all have things that make us happy and that’s a good thing. But happiness is fleeting. It evaporates during the tough times. Joy, on the other hand, stays with us through thick and thin.
And joy is something that God promises us. But have you ever thought of God Himself being joyful; Jesus being joyful? Here’s a story He once told to explain that very thing:
Luke 15:1-7 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (NRSV)
When Jesus found you, when He brought you home to Himself, He was filled with joy. Still when He looks at you, His heart is overwhelmed with joy. He loves you so much.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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