Joy

define this fruit of the Spirit in you!

ver.: 03 May 2008

This harvest of spiritual fruit is ripe for the picking :

• love (agape);
• peace (eirene);
• patience (makrothumia);
• kindness (chrestotes);
• faithfulness (pistis);
• gentleness (prautes);
• self-control (enkrateia).
• goodness (agathosune);
• What's meant by "fruit of the Spirit"?
• meanings of spiritual or religious words

What Is Joy?

joy [< French < Latin gaudere (to rejoice)] intense, ecstatic, or exultant happiness or pleasure. The Biblical Greek term from Paul's spiritual 'orchard' in Galatians is chara: joy, cheer, gladness, or celebration. Joy runs deeper than mere pleasure; especially in a spiritual context, it runs deep into the the core of us, and radiates throughout. It is the response of something deep in the soul to someone (such as God, or a loved one) or something (such as liberation) supremely, even overpoweringly, wonderful.

Joy In the Bible

The Bible often defines by way of description rather than a "this is what it means" approach. So it is with 'joy'. In the Bible, there are many portraits of joy. One of the truest joys is in Psalm 113:9, the barren woman who becomes a mother. Isaiah 51 describes joy as a crown, and speaks of a future day when those whom the Lord ransoms will be "overtaken" by joy (v. 11b). In 1 Peter 1:8, loving and believing in Christ gives people the "inexpressible" joy of salvation. In 1 John 1:4, John says that writing about the fellowship with God and believers to believers makes joy "complete". For me, one of the most joyous things of life is singing; the prophet understood this in Isaiah 52:9, with "songs of joy" over Jerusalem's return. A return to health also gives joy, and so Philip caused much joy in Samaria by way of healings. And joy under fire, overflowing into generosity, was the hallmark of the Macedonian churches, something Paul treasured. The poverty and trust of the Macedonians fits well with what Habakkuk wrote in a psalm about when Judah was being conquered (Habakkuk 3, esp. v.17-18) : though there is nothing left, there is joy in knowing Who will save him.

The joy of God's kingdom is the subject of the parable of the Hidden Treasure. In a section often used in liturgies, Psalm 51:10-12 is a prayer to God, in part, for the presence of the Spirit, and for joy to be restored to the pray-er of the psalm. God takes special joy in the person who turns away from evil and turns to God. This is apparent in the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin; these are immediately followed by the parable of the lost son, with the father's joyous mad dash to get to his son upon seeing the son far down the road on the way home.

There is also the joy of fools, rejoicing over the wrong things (Matthew 13:20, Proverbs 15:21, Revelation 18:7; also Isaiah 8:6, and in numerous OT passages where Israel's enemies are pictured as either celebrating or gloating over Israel's fall).

All this doesn't define joy, it sets the context for joy, or gives cause for joy.

You can also check for joy in the dictionary.

Back to the Orchard (Fruit page)

"It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it."
---- G.K. Chesterton, maker of many humorous and sly comments about life and Christianity.