Today’s Gospel makes it clear that Jesus came to bring us joy. How is it, then, that when we hear people talk about the life of faith, it sounds more like eating your vegetables than dessert?
God designed us for joy. God gave us the joy of taste, so food becomes an occasion for joy, not just a means to get your vitamins. God gave us the joy of touch, so we can feel the love of a child’s embrace.
Can you believe that Jesus was accused of enjoying life too much? He turned water into wine, talked about feast and abundance, never mind the kind of people he hung out with.
We need to reclaim this joy. Vacation Bible School is a week full of joy. The members of the Parish Choir can tell you about moments when the music transports them and fills them with joy. Anyone walking by our Feed My Starving Children ministry would think we were just having a big party. Sorting through clothes doesn’t sound like an occasion for joy, but it is if it’s with the Youth Group at the Thrift Store in Rehoboth Beach.
Jesus came so that we might have life abundantly, that we might have joy. It is now for us to not just reclaim this joy, but to proclaim it to others so that they might know the joy of God’s love.
Pastor Mark Summer’s sermon for Zion Lutheran Church of Oldwick, NJ on May 7, 2017.
John 10:1-10
Zion Lutheran Church has been Connecting People with God’s Grace for over 300 years.