Forth Sunday of Advent
19 December 2021
Readings
The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
– Exodus 15:2 (NIVUK)
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
– John 15:11 (NIVUK)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
– Galatians 5:22-23 (NIVUK)
This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
– Nehemiah 8:10 (NIVUK)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 4:4-7 (NIVUK)
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
– Philippians 4:10-13 (NIVUK)
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
– Psalms 68:3 (NIVUK)
Reflection on the fourth Sunday of Advent
We often confuse joy with happiness but the two are very different. Joy is an inner contentment while happiness is an outward expression. Joy can endure hardships, persecution, struggles and suffering while happiness is tied closely with circumstances. While we talk about the pursuit of happiness, the Bible says that joy isn’t pursued, it is given from the source of all joy, Jesus Christ.
When the angels appeared to the Shepherds on the night that Jesus was born, they told them they had an incredible message to share. Their message not only made the shepherds happy, a baby was born, but the message also filled them with joy – the restoration of all things had begun!
I often think of Mary and the joy she experienced from the time the angel Gabriel had spoken to her, to the time she met Jesus face to face at the end of her life. Mary had been filled with joy while she also endured heartache. She gave birth to the Messiah, taught him how to walk and how to talk. She had complete strangers tell her the most amazing things about her son, both good and bad. Mary watched as Jesus grew in his ministry and she must have seen how dangerous it was becoming. She tried to interfere at times in the work he was doing, but Jesus would not be stopped. Mary watched her son die on the cross and then saw him three days later as a different Son! Moments of such great sorrow, happiness, fear, excitement, anticipation and dread, and through it all – joy. The consistent strength that comes from the Lord.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It grows beside love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All these fruits support one another up so that they grow to their fullness. We cannot have complete joy if one of the other fruits has been neglected or isn’t maturing.
The Apostle James teaches us that joy in trials produces in us perseverance and when perseverance finishes its work, we will be mature and complete and lacking nothing in the Lord. And we can learn to be joyful. Paul did! Throughout his ministry, no matter what he faced or had to endure, he endured it with joy. His joy wasn’t tied to his circumstances but to his Lord. .
Today, as we light the candle of joy, we refuse to focus on our circumstance but turn our hearts and minds to Jesus who is the source of all joy, and the joy he gives us is complete. “Joy to the world, the Lord has come” – speaks of hope of the coming Messiah, of reconciliation between us and God, and restoration of all creation. Joy, the inner understanding that with Jesus, all is well with my soul!
– Connie Main Duarte
Each Sunday of Advent and at Christmas we will reflect about Jesus first coming and what that means to us:
Hope – Peace – Love – Joy – Jesus
These reflections are available in Portuguese and in English.