Fullness of Joy

“Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth?” Mark 1:24

In Deuteronomy 18:16, the Jews had just petitioned God for a prophet to speak to them. They did not want to hear God’s audible voice nor did they want to see the fire engulfing the mountains, the clouds and the thunder and the thick darkness. I suppose it terrified them as it would terrify us. So God granted their request and sent prophets. He did not speak to them audibly as a nation again. He instructed them about these prophets in Dt 18:19, “But against anyone who is not willing to listen to his words, which he will speak in my name, I will stand forth as the avenger.” In another version, it reads, “I will make him answer for it.” How terribly important it is for us to read Jesus’ words, understand and obey! Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father! But unlike the awesome voice speaking in and through the fire, He is not terrifying!

And that may be the reason why so many of us ignore Him, and like the man with the unclean spirit in Mark 1, we want Him not to mind us so we can do what we please. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Go away and leave us to our own devices!” 

We do not realize how wretched and pitiful we are without God to guide us in our life. We reject His Words not knowing rejection of His Words means rejection of His gift of joy. 

“These things I have spoken to you,” Jesus said in John 15:11, “that your joy may be full.” And in John 17:13, Jesus said, “I am speaking these things in the world, so that they may have the fullness of my joy within themselves.”

Lord, I want that fullness of joy in my life. Teach me Your ways!