The Secret to Joy

Gospel: John 15: 9-11

In what does joy consist? Jesus states in today's Gospel portion that it consists in love.  If we remain in the love of God and extend that love to others, then we will have joy.  The myriad of commandments placed upon us seem confusing and contradictory at times, but the way to navigate them is through love.  Whenever Jesus had to choose between competing duties and values, he always chose love extended outward to others.

Consider: when a man presented himself for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus chose to heal him instead of heeding the law on work on the Sabbath.  When the disciples were hungry on the Sabbath and plucked grain to satisfy that hunger, he defended them over the Sabbath law on work.  When it was a choice between welcoming and eating with sinners at table or keeping some notion of purity, he chose to be at table with others.  And when the man accosted by robbers is offered as a thought experiment on love, the lesson is that it is far better to care for the man than maintain some purity code in order to worship in the Temple.

When we extend love and mercy to others in these situations, we create joy in other people, for they have experienced God's love and mercy through us.  They have been healed, nourished, and restored to a state of dignity through our compassion that creates joy in them, the same joy we feel in experiencing God's love in our lives.  As Jesus did, so we must do.