Blessed with Joy and Laughter

 

Feast of Saint James
~~~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-15~~~ Psalm 126 ~~~ Matthew 20:20-28 ~~~

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels...
 

Our fragile human bodies are the earthen vessels.
From dust we came and unto dust we will return.
What is important between is how we live our life.
Paul tells us, in this wonderful reading to the Corinthians,
that what we call living is really our dying.

Every day that we are 'alive' we are one day closer to our dying day.
Paul does not want this to be depressing...
....always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

The death of Jesus is a part of who we are because he died for us.
But the death of Jesus was not the end.
The death of Jesus was actually the beginning.

It takes a leap of faith for us to consider death as a beginning,
whether it is that of a loved one or our own.
Death seems like complete closure.

For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Paul is actually rejoicing in this letter;
he is almost giddy over our close relationship with Jesus.
It is because of our close relationship with Jesus Paul says, that...
I believed, therefore I spoke,we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.

 Can you hear the excitement in these words?
I can almost picture him dancing around his room
between writing each sentence of this letter.

 

 

He goes on to say,
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Can you believe this?
Everything is for you so that you can give God more praise and glory. 

 The more excited you can be about God
the more people will be drawn to him through you.
They will want to know
why you are giddy about Jesus.
They will want know
why you are at peace with death.

 

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. 

 

We can confidently go forth with laughter
rejoicing in the great things God has done.
We can forth carrying inside of us the seeds of great joy.
Joyful seeds are meant to sown every where we walk.
Do not pass a place without leaving joy in the air. 

 

The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed. 

 

We are Blessed with Joy and Laughter.
Saint James, pray for us.