Find the Joy

Luke 10: 38-42

The theme of this year’s Georgia United Methodist Pastors’ School at Epworth was “Reigniting Joy.” It was an acknowledgement that after several tumultuous and trying years we needed to remember and find the joy. We also needed to reignite our joy not just in general but in our ministry. I realized that this isn’t just a problem that pastors and paid church staff encounter. It is something that affects all disciples. We sometimes forget our joy in our discipleship.

I am not saying that everything that we do for the sake of Jesus Christ is going to be fun or even make us happy. Sometimes our discipleship taxes us, scares us, and is anything but fun. It’s serious business, but we can still experience joy in our servanthood. As one of the presenters, Rev. Matt Rawle (our guest preacher during Lent) mentioned, joy and happiness are not the same thing. Happiness is a fleeting emotion that is tied to our external circumstances. Joy is a deeper, more enduring state of well-being that comes from our faith and rooted in God’s presence in our lives.

I think Martha in today’s text may have gotten the two confused. Martha forgot her joy in discipleship and got distracted by frustrations, resentment, and worry. Both Mary and Martha are living out their call to discipleship in this passage. Hospitality is an important part of a disciple’s life. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the disciples that whoever welcomes them in their homes will be blessed and that the Kingdom of God has come near to them (verse 9). Hospitality and serving is part of discipleship. Likewise Mary’s act of sitting at Jesus’ feet is also part of discipleship, listening to the words of her teacher. Both are good things.

Martha, though, forgot the joy in her discipleship. We all know receiving guests is hard work. Cooking, cleaning, setting the table, and making sure that everyone has what they need can be exhausting. But it is holy work because it is rooted in faith and the presence of God. Martha got distracted by her resentment and frustration, and it stole her joy of discipleship.

What is distracting you and stealing your joy in serving and following God? There are so many ways that serving God and being a disciple of Jesus are not considered fun or easy. Yet we do them with joy, that enduring sense of well-being that is rooted in God’s presence in our lives. Yet it is so easy to get distracted these days and forget the joy. Let us be like Martha, who practices her discipleship by serving others and offering hospitality. Let us be like Mary, who practices her discipleship by learning and listening to Jesus. Let us not, however, lose the joy that comes through our faith and the presence of God in whatever work we do on behalf of the Kingdom.

Prayer

God of joy, remind us of your presence and our devotion to you in all that we do. Let us not be distracted by resentment, worry, and frustration. Fill our hearts with the joy that only comes from being in your presence. Amen.

Rev. Dana Ezell