Joy

June 16, 2025

Luke 10:17-21, Philippians 4:1-4

NOTE: Sunday’s sermon, the first in a three-part series called “Director’s Cut,” looked at the movie Inside Out 2. In this week’s GPS, we will consider Biblical insights on human emotions, including five of the ones characterized in Inside Out 2.

Luke 10
17 The seventy-two returned joyously, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name.”
18 Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Look, I have given you authority to crush snakes and scorpions underfoot. I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. 20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the spirits submit to you. Rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that very moment, Jesus overflowed with joy from the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and shown them to babies. Indeed, Father, this brings you happiness.

Philippians 4
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.
Loved ones, 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to an agreement in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I’m also asking you, loyal friend, to help these women who have struggled together with me in the ministry of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the scroll of life.
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad!

Daily Reflection & Prayer

A few facts: the word “joy” occurs 52-66 times in major modern English versions of the Psalms. Even dogged by enemies, Jesus “overflowed with joy.” The apostle Paul invoked joy as key to resolving a conflict in the Philippian church. “With nearly four hundred instances of the specific vocabulary of joy and rejoicing, joy is a major motif in the Bible. While there is joy in human life in the earthly realm… its overwhelming context is spiritual.” * Isn’t it ironic that some people think faith just robs life of its joy?

In Luke 10, Jesus was going to Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:51), where the cross awaited. Yet Satan was falling—Jesus was marching to victory, not defeat. Jesus talked with the seventy-two (or seventy—ancient copies of Luke differ on this minor point) after their mission ended. Their visible success excited the disciples, but Jesus re-directed their thoughts. In 10:20, how did he turn their eyes to the ultimate reason for Christian joy, regardless of outward appearances?
There was conflict in the church, and Paul chose to talk about joy? “This could sound like empty sentimentality if not for the fact that Paul is writing from prison…. When we bring the things that cause us stress into prayer, we put ourselves and our troubles inside a much bigger picture: the story of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, a love that is stronger than anything that can hurt us or those we love.” ** How can God’s joy-giving presence bring healing even in tense situations?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for living your life on this darkened earth with joy, rooted in the much bigger picture of God’s love. Teach me every day how to live my life energized and shaped by your joy-giving love. Amen.

GPS Insights

Emily Stirewalt

Emily Stirewalt, who serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults, wrote today's Insights. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. Emily enjoys binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."

A bit of a confession: I have always found the “darker” emotions easier to access. As a child, I was often accused of being melancholy or distant. As an adult, I have sometimes been labelled aloof or withdrawn. One thing has been consistent for sure–people in all stages of life have found me to be “too sensitive.”

All of this made sense when I did some Enneagram work and discovered that I am a four on the Enneagram. The way I have claimed this is that “fours do not have feelings–they ARE feelings.” My self reflection and work has been to not let the deep feelings I have be the only thing that define me. The powerful thing about Enneagram fours (that I think makes me a really good Pastor): they are the only number on the Enneagram that can sit in the hard stuff with people and NOT NEED to solve it. Our power is found in sitting in the discomfort of grief, fear, and loss. Our challenge is to not over-identify with those emotions and know that there is joy to be found as well.

What a gift my work with the frail and elderly in our church community is with this understanding of myself I have come to over the last few years! I can sit with someone in their fear of aging. I can be present when someone has lost their independence, their loved ones and wonder what they might lose next. But what Joy from the Inside Out movies reminds me of is that there is deep and abiding joy to be found with people I am blessed to serve as well. We find so much joy in the people we serve with our Silverlink ministry here at Resurrection. We serve people who are no longer able to get to a physical building for worship services. Their losses are great. Their fears are very real. And yet… the joy we find in our ministry through representing Christ to them at our monthly worship services IN their communities is unmatched. Every single one of our volunteers says that as much as they find their work brings others joy, it brings them just as much! Perhaps our power could be found in a bit of all our emotions, even the ones that make us a bit uncomfortable. At the end of the day, we have joy in Christ even as we grieve, fear and lose so much in life. That is not an easy joy but it is a quite powerful one!

References

* Article “Joy” in Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit and Tremper Longman III, general editors, Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998, p. 465.
** Cynthia M. Campbell, sidebar article “Stress” in The CEB Women’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016, p. 1492.

WEATHER ALERT:

IMPORTANT:

Joy

Daily Scripture

Luke 10:17-21, Philippians 4:1-4

Daily Reflection & Prayer

Prayer

GPS Insights

Emily Stirewalt

© 2025 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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