Be a Joy-Sharer
Joy is deeper than the universe. I commented briefly on this point a few weeks back in the exposition of Psalm 16, but it’s one worthy of more reflection.
If you remember, the end of Psalm 16:11 is all about joy:
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
It is significant that this statement follows David’s confidence in the resurrection of Jesus (see verse 10). The resurrection of Jesus, indeed, is what the apostle Peter says David had in mind when he wrote the words (see Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:25–32; and also Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:35–37; and while we’re here, it’s remarkable that these two major sermons by the major apostles feature Psalm 16). Jesus was raised and exalted as Lord of all, and that meant a return to joy.
To be super clear, I believe the joy of Psalm 16:11 is the joy of Jesus experienced in his resurrection and exaltation to the Father’s right hand. As we see in other psalms, sometimes the words of the psalmist is actually the voice of Messiah (such as we have seen in Psalm 18:49 and Psalm 69:9, according to Paul’s interpretation in Romans 15), and I think that’s also the case in Psalm 16. There is certainly theological cohesion here when we consider the joy Jesus had set before him when he endured the cross (see Hebrews 12:2), and the richness of trinitarian fellowship he recalls in his high priestly prayer (see John 17:24–26). In short, joy bookends the gospel.
Jesus’s mission to save his people was from joy and to joy. He came from joy and he was headed back to joy, and his mission was to bring his church back with him (see 1 Peter 3:18). This leads to all kinds of wonderful implications. I’ll mention one for now, and then another one in a separate article.
Help from Lillian Flagg
I think immediately of the Lillian Flagg character in Fred Buechner’s old novel, The Final Beast.
In one scene, she is speaking with the main character, a burned-out pastor named Nicollet, and she is sharing about the joy of God in her life. In his cynicism, he wanted to laugh at her in mockery, but he didn’t for fear that she would only laugh louder.
This is a brilliant picture of joy having the final say, of mocking mockery, of silencing cynicism, of, as a Narnian might put it, laughing the loudest.
The character of Lillian manifests a freedom I so badly desire. She shares about her joy, as a witness to the Spirit’s work in her life, in a way that almost seems naive, but is actually wise. Her lack of inhibition, her distaste for refinement, makes her first come across as silly, and especially vulnerable.
Sharing joy always makes us vulnerable. Have you ever thought about that?
Every joy we share runs the risk that the ones to whom we share will not enter the joy with us.
You’ve experienced this before.
You’re excited about something, you share it with someone, and PING! You hit a brick wall. They don’t reciprocate. They don’t enter in.
It’s the wet blanket response, and such a response will tend to make the joy-sharer question the validity of their joy. The self-talk becomes: “If this person cannot enter into this joy with me, maybe I’m stupid for being joyful. Maybe the cause of my joy isn’t what I thought.”
Even just the possibility of the wet blanket response is what keeps many people from sharing joy. It’s the fear of being found silly, childish, because we assume that the people who matter most in the world are the tight-lipped adults who can find something critical to say about everything.
But Lillian doesn’t think so.
She doesn’t care how people might respond to her joy, and she means not to care. That is her wisdom. She knows joy is ultimate, not cynicism. So she shares her joy even though Nicollet could have laughed at her, because she understands she holds the last laugh. Lillian teaches us, therefore, that by the confidence we have in joy’s depths, we can be joy-sharers.
Buechner doesn’t mention in his story that Lillian had meditated on Psalm 16, but she could have, because the theological conclusion is the same. Joy is deeper than the universe.
But wait a minute — when we talk about joy, what do we mean? What is true joy?
