Henry Ossawa Tanner: The Annunciation
Monday, December 27, 2021
Joy and the Impossible
Luke
The New Testament brings us the good news of personal freedom and the reality of our individual relationship with God. Joy continues to surprise us as we rejoice in the coming of the Messiah.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative (Luke 1-2) is likely well-known to us. It is also likely that the story of the disciples who meet Christ on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-25) is also a familiar one. When we read these two stories side by side we understand that Christ’s joy defeats all sadness, bridges all gaps, heals all wounds, brings light to all darkness, and is always present in our lives. When we find ourselves in circumstances that offer every reason to doubt the power of God’s joy, we might turn to these verses to remind ourselves that with God all things are possible, with God there is always hope in the midst of despair, with God there is always a reason to celebrate.
If this week’s Noontimes call you to search for more ways to encounter Joy or urges you to investigate the New Testament, click on the word Joy in the categories cloud in the blog’s right-hand sidebar and choose a reflection, or enter those words in the blog search bar.
Image from: http://truthbook.com/religious-art-gallery/jesus-pictures
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