Advent 2023

Week 2 - Joy

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5: 11-12 KJV)

This familiar passage that concludes the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount is a difficult message wrapped in the beautiful cadences of the King James Version of the Bible.

Being persecuted is not an easy thing. Being talked about and lied about is not something that we enjoy. This is especially true when it comes to our faith, the thing we believe most fervently. When these things happen, we have trouble staying calm and holding our tempter. We want to defend ourselves or go on the attack. We want to make those who are persecuting us sorry. We want to make them wish they had never been born.

But Jesus says we we should react very differently. We should rejoice when these things happen. We should be joyful.

Like so many of Christ’s teachings, the reaction he demands goes against just about everything life has taught us. Don’t get mad, get even – or so we are taught.

Christ says, don’t get mad, be joyful. The rewards for developing a joyful spirit are greater than anything the world has to offer.

Prayer

Our Father, help us to take these words to heart. Help us to recognize that when we encounter life’s difficulties, being joyful is the only reaction possible for those who follow you. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.