Our gospel reading on Sunday was the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). One of the most striking parts of the story is the older son's refusal to go into the feast. Out of some combination of pride, bitterness, and offended justice, his heart is hardened against joy.
This might be one of the most resonant parts of the parable for us. His protests seem justified. The situation isn’t fair. The younger son had shamed his father and squandered his inheritance. Let him reap the consequences! That’s certainly true, but there’s something else underneath this story that I think we can all identify with. Joy is hard.
There are countless reasons for this. Labor goes unrewarded while others enjoy undeserved success. Good things that we long for never come. Sickness, pain, loneliness, and even boredom can weigh our spirits down. Even when circumstances are good, joy is hard. How often during worship have you repeated the truths that give us hope—that Christ is risen and will come again—with a flat heart? Sometimes joy seems like a dance we’d love to join, if we only knew the steps.
Now, look at the way the father comes to his elder son. The father longs to share his joy. Read that joy into what he says: “all that I have is yours.” The invitation is wide open; the older son must only come inside, and his father’s joy will cover him.
We can certainly look at our lives and point out things that harden us against joy. At the same time, I’m not convinced that joylessness is always evidence of doubt, or of unrepentant sin rooted in our hearts. (Though that is often the case!) As far as I know, there’s no step-by-step process for experiencing joy. The truth is that real joy isn’t something we can gain for ourselves. It can only be received. Once received, it can only be cultivated and stewarded. We can only know joy if we share in the joy of the Father.
If you find yourself looking at joy from a distance—in your daily life, or in worship—do not despair. Your Father longs for you to share in his joy. Ask for it. Pray that the Lord would open your heart to it. Wait for him, and in the waiting know that joylessness will not have the final word. The Father has moved heaven and earth for your joy. The Son has given himself for the joy of sharing this joy with you. The Spirit is in you to groan for you and rejoice with you. A triune God of perfect joy has set himself to this task, and he does not fail. In the meantime, it is enough to simply come to the feast, and let your Father’s joy cover you. His joy is enough.
Justin