Luke 15; Philippians 1:18; Philippians 4:4-7

Karunakar Mallamari reflects on the importance of rejoicing

Karunakar Mallamari

In his earthly ministry, Jesus always associated with common people like tax collectors and taught them about the Kingdom of Heaven. He taught them to repent and believe the good news of God, but the Pharisees disliked his friendliness with social outcasts, saying he welcomes and eats with sinners.

In order to explain how important a sinner's repentance is, Jesus told a gathering in the hearing of people who opposed his mission on earth, about a man with a property of 100 sheep who had lost one sheep and how he leaves the 99 in the open field and looks for the lost one until he finds it. After finding it, his celebration with friends and neighbours is just like the rejoicing in heaven over the one sinner who repents, rather than the 99 righteous people who do not need to repent.

He also shares about a woman who lost a silver coin from a valuable set of ten coins and searches carefully holding a lamp in her hand, sweeping the house floor. Just like with the sheep, she celebrates her joy in finding the lost coin and in the same way there will be rejoicing in the presence of God's ministering angels on the repentance of a sinner.

He also goes on to tell a very inspiring story, deeply related to this important act of rejoicing in heaven over the lost human finding home again. Jesus tells about a father who divides his property when his youngest son wants to leave home to a faraway country. While there he spends his whole wealth in wild living. As a severe famine spreads, he hires himself to work in the foreign fields feeding the pigs. When he realises that he's starving to death, but that at home there is plenty of food available and even the hired men have food to spare, he decides to return home to become a hired man in his father's house. He feels unworthy to be called a son again because of his sinful act against his father and heaven, but the compassionate father seeing his son returning while he is very far from home, runs to embrace him. He gives his son a fine robe, ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and he is joyful to celebrate with a sumptuous feast in finding his son who was dead and is now alive.

The apostle Paul, who once ran against the work of the Lord Christ and persecuted early Christians, after the heavenly revelation of Christ on the Damascus road says, the important thing is 'Christ is preached' and he rejoices for it in spite of remaining in chains for Christ. While writing to an early church of Philippi, he considers everything to his profit a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord and gaining the righteousness through faith in order to attain the resurrection from the dead.

Here is the Spirit filled rich exhortation to rejoice in life:

'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus'.