December 19, 2025

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT: JOY

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” (Luke 2.10)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” (1 John 1.3,4) One of the signatures of Johannine writings is the preamble. The preamble establishes the theme for the whole of the writing. In the gospel of John, the preamble speaks to the connection of Jesus’ human and divine nature. Such connection makes it possible for the truth of God to become visible to the reality of humankind. In a fashion, that preamble is the “birth narrative” of John’s gospel. John is concerned less with the story of Jesus’ birth as he was with the reality rendered on earth by His birth. Similarly, the preamble found in the first letter of John speaks to that same reality of “the Word made flesh to dwell among us” (John 1.1-4) but in terms of the effect of His birth which is the same as it was for the shepherds who received the first birth announcement. That effect was “joy.” The iteration of “joy” in scripture is to ensure that we understand the real purpose of God. His purpose is to reconnect the community of humankind with one another by being restored to the status of “Immanuel,” God with us. Reading again 1 John 1.4, that purpose remains clear, “We write this to make OUR joy complete.” The completion of the apostolic joy is found in the spiritual connection of a “living in the Kingdom of God” community where the gospel of Jesus Christ is not something to be talked about but experienced. That is the whole purpose of God in His love for His people so that they might become the whole people of God.

The absence of such community in the days of those Bethlehem shepherds may well have been the source of their fear. The Angel of the Lord saw it not only in their posture, they probably fell to the ground and covered their faces from the glory of God that shone around them, but in their heart. Humble shepherds may have known it best what it meant to be in the presence of God. What? You think they had not seen God before? You think that because they were considered to be of such low estate working in the fields tending sheep, no matter that the purpose of those sheep was temple-bound, that they were incapable of seeing God or restricted from seeing God? I dare say, those shepherds were more priestly, prophetic and kingly than the ones who were serving in Jerusalem in both the sacred and secular courts! They were the hands-on, eyewitnesses of the mystery of God’s love on a daily basis. They were part of a community of value and worth so honored by God that He decided to make Himself known to them first of all. God wanted them to have first-hand knowledge of what He had done to create the reconnection of true community and authentic living. God wanted them to know of His sincere desire to “make OUR joy complete.“

Jesus would tell a story, as related to those congregations served by Luke as a working companion of Paul, about joy. Actually there are three stories told in sequence as “Parables of Things Lost and Found.” You might remember then as stories of finding a Lost Sheep, a Lost Dowry Coin and the recovery of a Lost Son. (Luke 15) We usually hear these stories with the emphasis on the effort and sacrifice exerted to recover that which was lost. The shepherd of a flock of 100 sheep becomes a shepherd of one sheep. The woman whose dowry was no longer intact because one coin of it was missing becomes a woman with diminished value and unmarriageable. The most interesting story that is relatively different from the other two is about the father of two sons. One son becomes lost and finds himself, repents and comes back to accept his father’s will. The other son is parenthetically found because he remains at home to serve his father but becomes lost when the father accepts the prodigal son back into the family. While there are many messages to be revealed in those stories, I simply wanted to draw to your attention what happened when the “community” was restored. Dead or alive, the shepherd returns with the lost sheep. His duty is to account for the whole of the flock to the master of the flock. The shepherd is not the master of the flock but treats them as is they were his own. His livelihood depends on the faithful execution of his duty to his master. When he returns, and thankfully with a live sheep, there is a great celebration and a huge sigh of relief. Think also of the woman who cleaned her house thoroughly in search of one tenth of her dowry which had turned up missing. That tenth was indicative of the tithe which she would pay upon her marriage as a thanksgiving to God for her husband. Without it, she was incomplete. With it, she was a part of the thriving community destined for a future which might well include the birth of a son who might be blessed to be the Messiah. A party was thrown in celebration just as it was with the shepherd. There was a great joy as well as a sigh of relief. While more complicated than the other two, a party was thrown in celebrating the prodigal son’s return home. He was broke but wise, poor in finance but rich in spirit. He depended upon the mercy and grace of his father. The father celebrates because the legacy of faithfulness to God was returned in full. His son was restored and so was the family. Again, it was a story of joy and relief. It was except for the older son who could not see it the way his father did. Jesus was speaking of the loss of joy which His countrymen would experience unless they accepted Him as Lord and Savior, the Messiah for whom they were waiting (or secretly never hoped would show up.)

With all these examples of joy, mighty ones of God, our season of Advent leading to the celebration of the coming of Christ into the world should take on a renewed emphasis and targeted response. What is it that we are willing to share and to sacrifice so that those who are “lost” in the world shall be “found” in the Kingdom. I would refer to the passages of scripture which highlight this challenge for us. It comes from the end of the first two stories (that of the Found Sheep and Found Coin). It says “In the same way there will be rejoicing in heaven among the angels before God for the sinner who repents.” (Luke 15.7, 10) Notice it is not rehearsed at the end of the story of the Prodigal Son. Not even when the celebration for the lost and now found son is in full swing do we hear it. Why? How can we rejoice when there is still one lost? This is the true meaning of Christmas, mighty ones of God. We celebrate it by seeking those who are lost in the world and helping them to become found in the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Following the essence of the preamble in 1 John, “We do this so that OUR joy may be complete.” Is that what we are doing?

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.