Joy to the World

Last updated on: December 14, 2020 at 1:10 am by Ben Witherington

Joy to the World 2020-10-28T15:11:19-04:00 Ben Witherington

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The NT has quite a lot to say about joy, in various contexts, and about rejoicing, and not surprisingly there are plenty of Christmas hymns that emphasize joy, with major composer like Handel chipping in on this subject. Peter Gomme’s chapter on the Bible and Joy, in his ‘The Good Book’ one of the best treatments I’ve ever read on the subject, and I will be interacting with and quoting him here. Perhaps the first major point he makes is that ‘joy’ is a reaction to outside stimulus, or sometimes inner stimulus, but in either case it is a reaction. “The examples of Moses and Mary and their slouching towards joy have always been a comforting set of examples for me, teaching me as they do that joy is an elusive consequence of something else, and not a first cause or primary habit of mind.” (pp. 232-33). Part of his point is that it is difficult to be joyful on command, even though Psalms like Psalm 100 commands us to rejoice. But rejoicing doesn’t in itself mean one is ‘experiencing joy’ and so Gomes says “Joy is elusive; it cannot be summoned forth like an actor’s tears.” (p.233). Gomes sees joy as something like the meaning of how one responds to serendipity– undeserved and unlooked for benefit or blessing that produces thanksgiving and joy.

There is an aspect of joy Gomes doesn’t really consider, namely Paul says it is part of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, a part that is mentioned right after the all important agape. That kind of joy is given through the internal work of the Spirit, and does not need external stimuli to be experienced. Indeed, often this kind of joy, prompted by the internal work of God in the soul of an individual is something external circumstances can neither give nor take away. Joy, as C.S. Lewis reminds in his ‘Surprised by Joy’ should not be confused with either general happiness or mere pleasure. But it has one trait in common with those two things. Once you’ve experienced it, you will want more of it. Pleasure and even a modicum of happiness we may be able to give ourselves, but the joy the NT talks about comes from the Lord, being near to the Lord, being moved by the inward work of God’s Spirit. Gomes goes on to say that ‘the fullness of joy’ comes when one sees things from God’s perspective, gets a sense of the big picture and design of things, which is exciting and produces an ‘AHA’ moment. God is coming to make all things whole, and all manner of things well, and this produces joy. Just as Biblical hope is not mere optimism but rather an assurance of things hoped for based on God’s past track record, so Biblical joy is not mere happiness, produced by mundane things like…. oh, a new puppy. As Gomes says, joy is not a natural substance that can be bought or sold, found in some drug or pill, it cannot be conjured up or contrived. But when joy comes, in the morning or any other time, unbidden, we rejoice in the Lord.

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