Being happy

I here often in America, the phrase "I just want you to be happy." Or "I just want so and so to be happy." My mom says that to me often, as if she is stating that as the end goal for my life.

Happiness is not a bad thing, but I think the Bible teaches us that happiness isn't the end goal. Just "being happy" is a near impossibility in my mind, as we live in a disastrously fallen and broken world. I don't think we'll truly be happy until we are redeemed in the New Heavenly City, experiencing our joy and life directly from Christ.

That is where happiness comes from, real happiness I think. But that doesn't mean happiness in this life like our culture imagines. Jesus was tortured, He sacrificed the ultimate...the things Jesus did, people in our culture would not deem them as happiness-inducing actions.

Psalm 68:1-6 states:
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

As smoke is blown away by the wind,
may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds —
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

and then Psalm 68:19 states:

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

I think it's key to remember that our happiness comes as a result of our righteousness being found in Christ. Like Psalm 68:3 states.

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful."

Being found in Christ is not necessarily going to bring us the good and comfortable things of our culture that we may think might bring us happiness.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:30

May we find all our happiness locked up in the redemption we find in Christ. For it is through Him, by Him, and for Him that we live and have any of our being.

the Jesus I worship: not Mr. Rogers

I think there are multiple misconceptions of the true character of Jesus that our culture holds. One of those large misconceptions, I think, is that Jesus was a hippy-like, carefree, peaceful soul who carried baby sheep on His shoulders. If He had been your neighbor, you might think He was Mr. Rogers. "Won't you be my neighbor...today?"

Well you ask, why is your characterization true over someone else's?

It might not be. I'm a human and I make plenty of errors. But I will say that the characterization of Jesus that I have gathered in my mind I have sought to form from Scripture, what the Bible says. That may or may not count for something.

One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is:

"Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" (Matthew 21:12,13 NIV)

I don't think Jesus went up to a money changer "excuse me sir, you are defaming the Holy house of the Lord, I am angry at you, may I overturn your table?" NO! I think Jesus was enraged, full of zeal for the Lord and He was sick and tired of people using the Lord and His holiness for their own personal gain. I can see Jesus yelling for the zeal of His Father's house and flipping these tables over in a rage.

He busted out a can of holy whoop ass on those people.

And why do I think this gets at the real aspect of Jesus' character, one that might not be a common perception of Jesus in our culture today?

Right before this event in the temple, Scripture records:
"When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matt 21:10-11 NIV)

WHO IS THIS? they asked....

And then Jesus shows them. Not tells them by some speech or witty conversation. He physically drives out people who are defaming God. Now, naysayers might say, well...Jesus, He got angry. God wouldn't do that. If He were really God.

I don't think the act of getting angry is sinful. It's what you decide to do with that anger that falls into sin or holy territory. Using anger that is in line with the righteousness of God...I certainly don't think is sinful.

Immediately after Jesus' rage in the temple, holy rage mind you, Scripture records:
"The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant." (Matt 21:15-16 NIV)

Who would think to be compassionate and heal the destitute IMMEDIATELY AFTER an intense confrontation?

That would be Jesus of Nazareth, the Jesus I worship who is not like Mr. Rogers at all.

Hosanna to the Son of David!