Of course he commends “joy”, who wouldn’t? The one thing the book tells us is that
everything in life is vanity or a chasing after the wind so in what can we take
joy? In everything, in eating and
drinking, in life together, in all things.
If all is vanity and in the end we all die, whither joy? Joy isn’t intended to be found in these
things but once it is found in Him, it should infuse all of life. All that is, on its own, nothing more than
vanity, becomes worship and joy as we know the
creator, redeemer and sustainer of all that is. We take meals not as the product of our labor
but as the gracious gift of a loving father who has given us the gifts and
talents to produce and the opportunity to use them. Our spouses, children, and friends are also
gifts from Him. Everything now has
meaning that is found in His lovingkindness.
Once we realize that the things of earth are not ends in themselves we
can truly find joy in all things and appreciate them as gift from the one who
is ultimate and transcends all things.
Joy in Him is not dependent on circumstances but it is itself eternal.
The reaction of the crowds who brought their sick to Jesus
was right on target, they glorified the God of Israel. They didn’t glorify Jesus, they saw what He
was doing as a sign. A sign isn’t
ultimate, it points to where satisfaction can be found. When we are traveling and are hungry or need
gas for our cars, the signs on the interstate point to where we can satisfy
those needs. Jesus’ life pointed to the
Father, just as He does in iconography.
Our lives too are meant to be signs, pointing not to ourselves as having
some inner strength, but to the source of strength, joy, hope, peace, love,
etc. Jesus’ actions in feeding the 4000
here answers the disciples’ question of where they would get food, they will
get it from the Father by asking Him to bless what they have and multiply it
miraculously.
Paul’s argument here is certainly guaranteed to be offensive
to the Jewish community. He says that
the Jews are actually like Ishmael and the Christians like Isaac. They have been enslaved by the law and refuse
to be set free from the penalty of the law.
Jesus has set us free and we can live not by works but by faith in
Him. The law served a purpose but now
Jesus has overcome the law by fulfilling it, fulfilling all righteousness. If I need not live in fear of the law, I can
truly live with joy in Him who has fulfilled all righteousness and purchased my
freedom, redeemed me from slavery.
Returning to the law is exchanging free status for slave status. What kind of idiocy is it to return to
slavery? Do we know the joy of eternal
salvation and security we have received?
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