Food for the Way: Joy
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:1-11)
In The Rock That Is Higher, Madeleine L’Engle says this about Jesus:
“[Jesus’s] joy came from his constant awareness of his Source. And it is that awareness of our Source that takes away our fears and not only allows us, but prods us, even commands us to enjoy our faith.”
The first time I read that, I had to shut the book and go lie down because I was so annoyed. Grow in my faith? I’m trying. Rely on my faith? Absolutely. But enjoy it? Oof.
Here’s the thing: I’m not great at enjoying...anything. Whether this is caused by the natural bend of my heart or the result of sin, I’m not sure. But when I look back at the path of my life, I see lots of valleys and shadows; I’m suspicious of any moments in the sun. Based on my experience, those don't last, so what’s the point of exuberance?
After time spent wrestling with this paragraph L’Engle wrote, even muttering at her under my breath, I figured out what my hang-up was. I’d pulled the same switcheroo on myself that I do in life: I had substituted joy with happiness and missed the point entirely.
We often use joy and happiness interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing, especially when Jesus is involved. Happiness comes with experiences like approval, comfort, and success—what I crave most. These things feel fantastic, but they’re also fleeting.
Joy is something else.
In John 15:1-11, Jesus speaks about joy—his joy, specifically, and how the disciples (and we) access it. And the way we do that is what differentiates joy from happiness. You see, happiness comes from things we seek as we try to make our lives how we want them to be. Joy—“the true, the sovereign joy,” as Augustine calls it—comes from abiding in Jesus; Eugene Peterson helpfully calls this “making our home in him.” By abiding in Jesus, we trust him as the vine and God as the vinedresser to see to our care and tend to our hearts so that we may bear fruit. And Jesus tells us that when we do that, when we abide in his love, his joy becomes ours, and our joy is full. Full. Abundant. Like a watermelon ripe on the vine, waiting to be picked.
I know what some of you are thinking: “But what about the valleys? What about the shadows?” When we reflect on these words Jesus shares about joy, we need to remember their context: the Last Supper, the night before Jesus’s death on the cross. In this moment, Jesus holds the truth that he is about to die a violent death and the truth that his joy is full in his Father’s love at the same time. As ones who know our need for Jesus, who are called to abide in him, we, too, will find ourselves holding pain in one hand and wonder in the other. It’s inevitable. But William Vander Hoven put it best, I think, when he said, “Life need not be easy to be joyful. Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ.”
Joy offers us something that happiness can’t. While happiness keeps us focused on what’s right in front of us, joy lets us pull the camera back and up to get a more complete view of the lines God has drawn for us (Psalm 16) without being afraid of what we’re going to see. There might be shadows, there might be valleys, and there might be moments in the sun. But with Jesus—in Jesus—there will be love, there will be fruit, and there will be joy.
May we seek that out. May we, like Jesus, be constantly aware of the Source of it. And may we enjoy it.
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CONSIDER
Think about a time when you experienced happiness and a time you experienced joy. How did they feel different?
In his analogy of the vine, Jesus shares many benefits of life abiding with him. What are they and how do they relate to joy?
Jesus doesn’t say the words in John 15 to an individual; he says them to the disciples as a group. What does abiding in him and experiencing his joy mean for a community of believers?
Reflect Further
Read Psalm 16 with John 15:1-11 in mind. How do they work together to confirm for us the Source of our joy and its promised fullness?
Artwork by Tess Miller. Additional design by Rachel Lee.
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