The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Galatians 5:22-23

If you are unfamiliar with this, it is a dragon fruit. I picked it for joy because it is funny looking and makes me smile when I see it. Sometimes I need more dragon fruit in my life. Joy is more than smiling though. I'm sure that just like me, you have faked a smile before. I don't mean one of those half hearted smiles that everyone can see through. I'm talking about a very convincing smile. To be honest, we were being very hypocritical. The smile masks what we were truly feeling on the inside. As we all learned after his suicide, Robin Williams was a master of hiding behind a smile. All the while, on the inside he was hurting. So, how do we get true joy?

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

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The Greek word translated "joy" is the word from which we get our word "charismatic". I cannot imagine a charismatic person without thinking of smiles and hope. That kind of person just seems to invigorate people and/or restore hope. Even Hitler, though speaking in a gruff and angry tone, created a hope within the German people that he would restore Germany to her former glory. People love charismatic leaders.

The first time the word "chara" appears in the Bible is Matthew 2:10. I think this is really cool! Matthew 2:9-11 says:

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They could truly say, "Joy to the world, the Lord has come" while they received Him as their king.

The next three times Matthew uses the word "chara" it is used to speak of joy in 1.] receiving God's word (Matthew 13:20), 2.] receiving salvation (Matthew 13:44), 3.] receiving rewards for faithful service to God (Matthew 25:21, 23). Those are all things to rejoice over. There is wisdom in God's word, even for unbelievers. In that wisdom, there is also the knowledge of our need for salvation. Paul told Timothy, "and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (II Timothy 3:15). That wisdom continues with how to live a faithful life for the Lord after our salvation. With each of these we can have "Joy".

The last time Matthew uses the word "chara", it is in Matthew 28:8. Here are verses 5-8 for context.

But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Matthew 28:5-8

I want to end with this simple thought. Matthew began and ended his use of the word "Joy" with the birth and resurrection of Jesus. Every other use of the word was how we have joy after He completed His work of Salvation. "Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and nature sing, and Heaven and Heaven and nature sing!

Father, thank You for giving us Joy. So many people live miserable lives because they reject the source of true Joy, Your Son. I pray that this fruit of the Spirit would grow in abundance in our lives and that those around us would see our joy and want to know how they can have it too.