Proper 22B’24 Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
6 October 2024
Mk.10.2-16; Gal. 5.22-23
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, rejoice! Amen” – Philippians 4.4

Katharina von Bora – not a name we hear every day, was the wife of the renowned reformer, Martin Luther. Luther was given to bouts of ‘discouragement’ (that today we know as depression). His mood had been on a downward trend for several days, and Katharina was becoming concerned for her husband. She got an idea. She went to her bedroom and put on a black dress, black gloves, a black veil, and a black hat, and went back into the kitchen where Martin had been sulking. Martin, somewhat startled, asked whose funeral she was attending; she answered, “No one’s, but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in mourning!” By God’s grace, Katharina’s dramatic demonstration was enough to bring Martin to his senses, and to restore some much-needed joy. This experience became his inspiration to write one of the world’s greatest hymns. “A mighty fortress is our God!.”1

What is joy? Is it simply happiness or is it something more?

We all can recognize these words from the Bill of Rights:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The pursuit of happiness! Truly a wonderful freedom to be free to go wherever we want to go, to discover those things that make us happy. The word “happiness” comes from the Old Norse word “hap,” which means “chance, luck, fortune, or fate,” it’s also where the word “happenstance” comes from. Happiness is one of our favorite human emotions but it can be fickle, fleeting, and fragile. Chances can be squandered or missed, luck sooner or later runs out, fortune can fold, and fate can deflate us. We feel so deeply for the victims of Hurricane Helene, with the death toll continuing to rise to over 250, and with hundreds still missing, happiness can be hard to find. This is where the rubber hits the road, it is times like these we most need the fruit of joy.

Joy, in Greek is the word “Chara” which is derived from the word “Charis” which means “gift of grace.” Joy is not just an emotion, but a fruit of the Spirit that goes deeper, growing from within us. Joy is not dependent on temporary outward circumstances, but dependent on the almighty love and power of God, and God’s unshakeable Kingdom. This is the power of love, and the grace of joy that Martin Luther rediscovered: “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing, our helper, he amid the flood…”

Besides Martin Luther, there was another person who found joy in the midst of sadness, his name was Horatio Spafford, an American attorney and Presbyterian elder. In 1871 he had sunk the bulk of his fortune in Chicago real estate, but the Great Fire of Chicago occurred in the same year, and he lost most of his investment. A couple of years later the family had a transatlantic trip planned. He had some unexpected business come up and sent his wife and four daughters on ahead of him. During the fateful voyage, the ship sank drowning 226 passengers including all four of his daughters. His wife, Anna, was rescued, and once ashore sent a telegram that simply read: “Saved alone.” I cannot imagine the blow this was for him. He booked passage on another ship to join his wife in England where they could console one another. As he sat on board the ship and near the very location where his daughters had drowned, he received these words from the Holy Spirit:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

In that day of tragedy, Spafford didn’t find happiness, but by God’s amazing grace, he found joy, not the emotion but the fruit rooted in God, and found in God alone. His song has reached thousands of people who were navigating the dark places of their lives.

The person who holds the distinction, as being the most joyful person I have ever met – would have to be former Archbishop of Cape town, South Africa – Desmond Tutu. Again, someone who was no stranger to unhappiness, and much unpleasantness. He witnessed the horrific ravages of South Africa’s racist system of apartheid. He had been on the receiving end of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. Surely, we would think these seeds would bring a bitter harvest, but brought unspeakable joy instead. Through the process of reconciliation, led by Tutu, former enemies and victims faced each other, listened to one another’s stories, and many found forgiveness and peace.
In person, he was hilariously funny, a joke or a one-liner and a gleaming smile that was something to behold. How can such great joy be explained? Where did his joy come from? I think it must have something to do with his many hours in prayer with Jesus, where Jesus started to rub off on him!
Perhaps all of our pursuit of Happiness is really just our pilgrimage to find God.
our heart’s true home.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, rejoice!

 

1 https://www.google.com/search?q=sttory+of+Martin+Luther%27s+wife+wearing+black