First, what is joy? Is it the same as happiness (a word more familiar to most and a topic of discussion for many). Let me first say that joy is not the same as happiness. The root word for happiness is "hap" which is also root for "happenstance". In other words, happiness is the satisfaction one receives when their circumstances supply what one needs or desires. Joy is much different.
Each Beattitude starts with the little phrase "O the joy of being" not "happy are" (contrary to some translations). The word for joy here is "makarios" which means that satisfying the person's well being is completely self contained, not dependent on anything from one's environment. The statement in the topic of this post is found in scripture, most notably in John 16:24. The word for joy here is "chara", meaning an inner delight. So first we find that joy is an inner sense of well-being or delight.
Full is an interesting word. When I make a coke float I first fill the glass with ice cream until it is full. However, I then pour diet coke in so the glass must not have been full. It was just full of ice cream. Now as I pour in the DC the foam gets to the top but I can still pour in more DC. Eventually, the foam overflows and runs down the glass. At this point the glass is FULL, overflowing. This is the meaning of the word "full" in this passage, completely replete until it overflows. This is the degree in which our inner delight is full!!
Now that we understand the outcome, what is the source. Looking close at this passage we notice that Jesus did not say, "GIVE and your joy will full" or "SERVE and your joy will be full." Now there is nothing wrong with these actions but that is not what is at the heart of Jesus' call on our lives. He said "ask and you shall receive". There are two words that translate "ask". One focuses on trying to get a person to give us something. That is not this word. The word here for "ask" focuses on the thing we wish to be given. What is this thing? Earlier Jesus says "in that day you will not have to ask." That is, when He returns in His fullest, we will clearly see all that He is and Grace will reign and thus the thing we desire will be there and we don't have to request it.
So the source of full joy is receiving what He has for us by asking Him for it!! Now Steve, didn't Jesus tell the rich young ruler to give away all he has and didn't Jesus tell his disciples to go serve ("wash feet"). Yes, He did, but understand what He was really saying. To the rich young ruler He was saying that to receive eternal life, you must "let go" of what you depend on in this world for your well being. The emphasis here is not "giving" but "letting go." To His disciples He said "unless you receive me washing your feet, you can have no part of me." Once you have me living my life through you, you will naturally go and serve (wash others feet).
What makes one a "child of God", adopted into his Kingdom, available to all the provisions and privileges of the Heavenlies? Not giving, not serving but receiving the Grace that is set before us. Jesus says in John 1, "as many as received Him He gave them the authority to be children of God!!"
The source of inner delight, a soul of well being is receiving from God His Son who transforms us and our minds from carnal to Kingdom and redeems all that robs our joy!!!
something to ponder ......
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