Joyful, Joyful

Based upon Luke 2;10-14

We are all very familiar with these words. I can hear little Linus speaking these words to Charlie Brown. It is what we hold near and dear to our hearts when we think of Christmas. In our minds eye we can see the timeless event of a young woman giving birth. The miraculous act which is mixed with great pain and wondrous joy. The act played out before her husband and some animals in an environment inferior to any royal birth. Yet God had chosen this place to bring forth His only begotten Son. While Mary and Joseph privately rejoiced with their precious newborn, God sent out a personal invitation to the glorious event.

Simple shepherds were out at night watching out for their sheep oblivious to the world-shaking events that were playing out nearby. God had a special spot in his heart for shepherds as they watched out for the defenseless creatures. Their watch was disrupted by the sudden appearance of an angel. The darkness was driven away by the light of glory that surrounded him. He announced the great event and invited them to come see where he lay. But before the angel was able to return to heaven, heaven opened with glorious praise. We don’t give much thought to the heavenly host, the mighty angels who are sent to protect us. Yet they were standing upon the very edge of heaven waiting for the miracle of birth to unfold. There was Joy in heaven emanating from the very throne of God. The angels were caught up in wonder of it all. They heard the words of the herald angel and their hearts burst forth with uncontained praise. All of Heaven rejoiced at the birth of the Savior and Lord!

Joyful Joyful we adore thee God of glory Lord of love. These words are the theme for this Homily. They kept rising within my spirit … joyful joyful we adore thee. I know that many are not feeling the joy right now. They have no desire to sing. Many are falling away from the Church their hope and trust have failed them. We need to remember that our Lord was not born into good times. The people of Israel were suffering. The Roman occupying force cared nothing for the people, the King was a Roman appointed ruler, the religious leaders were only interested in their personal power and wealth … the people were powerless and defenseless like sheep without a shepherd. God knew what was going on, and at just the right time he sent the Messiah, the Christ our Lord.

When the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt they lived in troubling times. God heard their cries and when the time was right Moses was born. When the Israelites were prisoners in Babylon they lived in troubling times. God heard their cries and when the time was right God moved on the heart of King Cyrus of Persia, to have the people of Israel rebuild the temple. And of course, we know that the nation of Israel suffered during the Roman occupation. God heard their cries and at just the right time Jesus was born. If for no other reason rejoice in the knowledge that God hears our cries and responds at just the right time. He may not come when we want, but he is never late. He is an on-time God.

When we look back over this year it is easy to see why few are singing this song. A pandemic is raging … new variants come along just as we deal with the disease. Many people who were shut out of their jobs are finding other ways to earn a living. Many businesses and companies are no longer in existence. There are supply chain problems that will not end any time soon. People are frustrated and hostile with one another. There is racial and religious strife. We are all tired and want to go back to the way we lived just two years ago. And that is just the state of our nation.

This earth is in turmoil. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires of massive scale, floods, hurricanes, tornados, heat domes, atmospheric rivers … nature is throwing all kinds of stuff at us. It reminds me of the words of Paul when he wrote, “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” All of creation is groaning loudly.

So, yes, I understand that people may not be feeling very hopeful right now. Our burdened hearts may not desire to sing Joyful joyful, but that is exactly what we need to do. The Apostle Paul told the Philippians rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Always, that means no matter the circumstance, no matter how you feel … rejoice. It is very easy for us to become discouraged. We can begin to feel that what we think, or feel is of little concern in the grand scheme of things. But that is not true. My brothers and sisters how we feel is of great concern to God and to all humanity. What? That is right. What you think, what you feel is of vital importance to the hope for humanity. You are God’s chosen messengers of the Good News! You are Heaven’s hope for the salvation of many. If you are downtrodden and without hope, how can you ever bring good tidings of great joy? Snap out of it! Snap out of it.

Snapping out of our discouragement may seem harder than it is. Paul gave us the method to turning our dissatisfaction into joy. He first told us to rejoice. So, turn up the positive music, sing songs of praise, dance unto the Lord! Next, be anxious for nothing. Yes, there is trouble, but nothing that God cannot handle. Pray about the things that are troubling to you and leave them in his capable hands. Thank him for his faithfulness and his goodness to us. When you do this God will send his peace upon you. A peace which passes all our worldly understanding. Finally adjust what you think about. Paul says, “think about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Pray all your concerns and worries into God’s capable hands and rejoice! Do your best to live in His Peace and rejoice. Now more than ever the world needs our Joy to overcome the despair of this troubled world. Joyful Joyful we adore thee God of glory Lord of love!