Before we explore the Beatitudes, we begin with a question—one not spoken aloud, but asked through a gaze. Mikey, our Maltipoo, rests quietly on a patterned cushion, looking into our human eyes with a kind of gentle urgency. His expression doesn’t demand; it invites. Why do you settle for fleeting happiness when Jesus offers enduring joy?
This article — and this series on The Beatitudes —begins here: with the difference between human happiness and God’s joy. One depends on circumstances. The other flows from relationship. Jesus doesn’t offer a better mood. He offers a transformed life. And the Beatitudes are His invitation to enter it.
🔎 Note on Collapsible Boxes: The boxes below are expanded by default to support accessibility and screen reader navigation. If you’d like to hide them while reading or printing, just click the “−” icon to collapse.
If you’re not a dog person, you may not understand or even believe this. I chose Mikey, our sixth four-legged “kid”, and fourth rescue dog, who has lived out happiness and joy.
Why Happiness Isn’t Enough
We don’t know his origins, but based on his condition when he was rescued, they estimate he was on the streets for at least a year. A little 15lb. survivor in a world of bigger dogs and scary people. Then he spent 11 months in two foster homes. He was such a problem that he ended up in a foster-of-last-resort after just one month. Although even that was a happier situation than being on the streets, even though he had only an hour or two outside of a crate each day,
My wife and I adopted him after a 2-hour interview! They asked a few times why we wanted him. After all, his bio was: hates everything and bites everybody. I said he had “life in his eyes” and if we could do half of what we’d done for a couple other dogs we adopted, he’d have a good life. Notice – that’s a good life, not a great life. I’ll tell you now, Mikey has gone way beyond just a good life.
Yes, he did bite us quite a bit at the beginning. And yet, he was “happy”. Certainly, he was beginning to feel safer – but also still on guard. “Happy”.
It’s been four years now with us. Mikey’s very playful. He jumps up on us – unless he’s feeling a bit lazy, then he wants to be picked up. He does so many things his rescue agency person and foster mom didn’t think he’d ever do. The difference is unreal. Makes me want to cry, even as I just think back and recount little pieces of his journey. Mikey and my wife & I are so much better off than 4 years ago for having been together.
Yes, Mikey still gets scared. But especially when he’s with me, he can totally fall fast asleep and not have a care in the world. He loves to play – even knows the names of dozens of little stuffed toys.
Is life perfect for him? No. But then, this side of Heaven, it won’t be for any of us.
And yet, the relationship Mikey has with us brings him something akin to the joy we can have when we begin to have a more trusting relationship with God.
And so, this is the backdrop for the first segment of my series on Beatitudes: Jesus’ Invitation to a Life of Joy. A look at the difference between the human happiness we too often settle for compared to the life of Joy we are offered by Jesus in The Sermon On The Mount.
Mikey’s Journey: From Survival to Happiness to Joy
Mikey’s journey—from street survival to playful trust—mirrors our own spiritual tension. We settle for “happy enough,” for safety with conditions. But Jesus offers something deeper: joy rooted in relationship, not circumstance.
This series begins with a question asked through a dog’s eyes: Why do we settle for fleeting happiness when Jesus offers enduring joy?
Why Do We Settle for Happiness When Jesus Offers Joy?
Mikey’s journey isn’t just about rescue—it’s about relationship. And that’s where this series begins: with the question behind his gaze. What do we settle for when we say we’re “happy”? And what does Jesus offer that’s deeper?
Let’s change our focus from Mike to our own lives. To do that, we turn from Mike and his “forever family” to ourselves and God. For that, we also transition from real life stories of Mikey to God’s word, the Bible.
Our own journey
We talk a lot about happiness. We chase it, measure it, and mourn its absence. But what if the kind of happiness we’re chasing isn’t what Jesus offers? This post begins a journey into the Beatitudes—a series of blessings that turn our expectations upside down. Before we explore those blessings, we need to pause and ask: what’s the difference between human happiness and God’s joy? One fades with circumstances. The other deepens through relationship. This is the invitation Jesus offers—not just to feel better, but to be transformed.
The problem with human happiness
There’s a really basic question to answer here before we can even begin to get to the ideas of happiness and joy. Are we supposed to be happy? To most people, the answer is probably obvious. At least it may seem obvious. But to others, like me, who have issues with depression – the answer is hardly obvious at all. Being happy can feel like something for other people. Whether happiness is something to experience can be a question for Christians as well.
The preachers who are into the so-called prosperity gospel, which isn’t in the New Testament, say – of course, God wants us to be happy. But what does Jesus actually say about being happy during His time on this planet? Jesus’ words should be shocking to those proponents and believers of that “prosperity gospel”. I’m asking this question because I’m trying to write this series on The Beatitudes. You know – the part of the Sermon On The Mount where everything starts with “Blessed are …“? Well, if you didn’t know already, that can also be translated as “happy are …“.
The Beatitudes in Plain Language: What Does “Happy” Really Mean?
I’m going to do something here that I rarely do. We’re going to examine a passage from the Good News Translation, rather than my normal 1984 NIV Bible. When you read it, it sounds kind of odd. Actually – it can sound really odd. Truth is – it should sound really odd, at least to Christians.
To see how this plays out in Scripture, let’s look at the Beatitudes through the lens of the Good News Translation—a version that uses ‘happy’ where others use ‘blessed.’ It’s a choice that changes how we hear Jesus’ invitation.
That’s the thing about so many variations within different translations of the Bible. Yes, the original words are the inspired word of God. However, the translations are not. They are generally written for a specific audience. The problem is that now there are three degrees of separation between the inspired word of God and what we read.
- By not reading the original (Hebrew or Greek) we lose the direct connection to the words inspired by the Holy Spirit when the authors wrote the books way back when.
- Along with #1, whatever language is used in the translation we’re reading, there are nuances and context sensitive implications in the original Greek and Hebrew that won’t carry across in the translation.
- Most translations have a target audience in mind. Whoever that may be, it’s not the original target audience from thousands of years ago. Besides the language differences, there’s culture, history, and all sorts of other things that make a difference in what we “hear” or “read” compared to the original texts and people.
Therefore, we need to be cognizant of not only the culture, context, and language, but also of the new target audience. That’s especially true for something like the Good News Translation (GNT). The language is so oversimplified that words like happy cannot begin to express the original intent of a word the way that joy does. Why? Because, in this case, joy is used by Christians today to symbolize something special – in a way that happy just isn’t used. We’ll see more on that as we go along, but please keep that in mind as we go along.
The invitation – our first reaction
Here’s that “happy” translation – from the Good News Translation – of Matthew’s Gospel. It’s the beginning of The Sermon On The Mount, Jesus’ manifesto on how to live: The Beatitudes.
The Sermon on the Mount (Good News Translation) 🔍
5 Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered round him, 5:2 and he began to teach them:
True Happiness
(Luke 6:20–23)
5:3 “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
5:4 Happy are those who mourn;
God will comfort them!
5:5 Happy are those who are humble;
they will receive what God has promised!
5:6 Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;
God will satisfy them fully!
5:7 Happy are those who are merciful to others;
God will be merciful to them!
5:8 Happy are the pure in heart;
they will see God!
5:9 Happy are those who work for peace;
God will call them his children!
5:10 Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
5:11 “Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. 5:12 Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted. 1American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation (2nd ed., Mt 5:1–12). American Bible Society.
Is Jesus kidding? Happiness is when I mourn?
That’s the kind of thing that can make you ask – Is He kidding? Happiness is when I mourn?
And then Jesus also said things like this:
In this world you will have trouble.
It can sound like Jesus was depressed and wants the same for all of us! Honestly, there were times in my life when I thought things like happiness and joy were for the next life – not this one. That kind of thinking seems even more correct when we realize that Jesus’ words about having trouble came in this context:
The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy 🔍
…
Jn 16:31 “You believe at last!” Jesus answered. 32 “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
Jn 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Yeah – Jesus has overcome the world. And so can we, if we believe in Him. Then we spend eternity with Him. In the next life.
But seriously – when we read this for the first time, is that really how we feel? Or is it more like “So what? Jesus overcame the world. But He’s in Heaven and I’m down here! How’s that help me?”
How many times do we need to read that – and a whole bunch of other stuff – before we even begin to believe it, let alone live by it?
This whole concept is hard enough to understand – and believe – when the word joy is used and we know that joy is different from happiness. But when happy is in there, it’s so much harder to comprehend. And that makes it so much harder to believe.
That’s like asking, “How many people did Mikey bite before we met him?” And how many times did he bite us before he trusted us, even a little? BTW – we stopped counting. We just loved him and patiently tried to make him feel safe. Let me add one more thing. Yes, Mikey bit people. But dogs generally bite people for one of two reasons. One – they’re aggressive. The other – they’re scared. So we’re always careful to let people know he’s scared and not aggressive. That’s not an exact replica of the happiness vs joy wording – but I hope it makes the point that more finely defined words are important sometimes. Biting is one instance. Feelings that are positive is another instance.
And guess what? That’s a really good comparison to how God deals with us. No matter how many times we “bite” God, He’s still got His arms open for us when we’re ready to begin to trust Him. The thing is though – with God He’s still open to receiving us even if we’re aggressive towards Him.
It really sounds like happiness in this life is a pipe dream, doesn’t it?
I’ve been trying to write this series for at least a couple months now. It’s just not coming out. When that happens, I just stop. Don’t even try to write. There’s always a reason – and all I can do is wait until I find out what it is. For this one – I think it’s what I’m writing right now.
I wrote that last paragraph, in fact much of this article, almost six years ago. It’s Oct 2025 now – it was Nov 2019 back then. We didn’t have Mikey yet, so everything about him is new. I wasn’t diagnosed with prostate cancer yet. Although, I look back now while updating this series and know that writing it most certainly helped me get through that. My approach to going through diagnosis, incomplete surgery, and radiation treatment was unquestionably affected by my actually living out what I wrote about here. So the words did come, just when I needed them – and I know from responses, other people needed them too, as well as the words from the two series below.
I have a series on that whole experience, still going while approaching 6 years as a cancer survivor. That series is another one I need to move over here – but for now it’s available at: Don’t waste your cancer on the old site. BTW, there’s also one on a whole bunch of other times I’ve looked at the relationships our dogs have had with us – and wished I could have the same kind of unconditional trust in God: Learning from a dog.
The problem of living with an “either / or” view of life
It’s like people seem to be either “happy” or not “happy”. Up or down. “Happy or Depressed”. Yes – dictionary.com says the opposite of depressed is happy. Then, depending on which one we are, we look at things differently. If we’re happy, we look for the good in things we see. If we’re depressed, we tend to look for the negative in the things we see. Now – as I update this – I must strongly disagree with this statement. Depression can prevent us from being happy, but it’s not the opposite of happy. Note – this somewhat colors everything that follows in my statements about happiness & depression – but only insofar as I truly don’t believe depression and happiness are opposites.
The “problem”, if I can call it that, is that means we generally see just one side of things. Maybe because I go back and forth between “happy” and “depressed”, depending on when I read the Bible, I can/do see the writings very differently. One day, I can read a passage and see it as very negative – like hellfire and damnation. But another day – or maybe even later that same day – I can see it as something very different – like love and salvation. The very same passage – with two very different meanings.
But here’s my question on that. Is it me? Or are there really two very different things being said? For instance, one of my favorite passages to use under many different contexts begins with this:
God’s Wrath Against Mankind 🔍
Ro 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
…
That whole section in Romans is something people don’t like to read – because they see the Hellfire and Damnation side of God in it. And sure enough, it’s there. However, there’s also the flip side – where Paul writes that what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. That’s the loving side of God. Both are there. But do we see them? (See Is God loving or angry? for more on that. It’s another very old article on my previous site.)
I believe that all too often, we don’t see it. Therefore, we don’t understand what God really tells us in the Bible. And worse yet, we don’t appreciate what He has done and continues to do for us.
I think it’s the same with the Beatitudes. Most Christians would say these blessings are, obviously, good things. But – do we believe they are for us? Or are they for someone else? Do we really believe that we’re happy when we mourn? Furthermore, even if we do “believe” it, does our life reflect that belief? That’s what Jesus said. But is our belief strong enough that we truly live out those words when we mourn?
Please try to think in that context as we continue throughout the series. Truthfully – I believe we should always think that way when we read the Bible. Also, it sometimes seems that it’s when I’m depressed and read the Bible, I see the good. But when I’m happy and read the Bible, I sometimes focus more on the bad. At first, it seems counter-intuitive. And yet, that also provides some insight into why those who need Jesus the most are the very ones who seek Him the hardest.
Of course, the catch here is that so often, when we really need God the most – those are the times when we’re “hiding” from Him, turned away from Him, or (as I used to do) running away from Him. But if we can look at the Bible both ways, remember both ways – especially when we’re trying to hide or run away – then we too can realize those are the times that we need Him most. And then we’ll also realize, He’s right behind us, ready to feel like a most welcome child of God.
Going back to Mikey – it’s like when he began to realize that biting us wasn’t good. (No – we never told him bad dog, yelled at him, and especially never hit him.) But we’d leave him to himself for a while. Then he began to learn that he liked the attention that sometimes scared him more than he liked being ignored, even for a little while.
It’s Up To God To Make The First Move
God let me down then, and so far as I’m concerned, it’s up to Him to make the first move. But wait, that’s not correct!
Read MoreWe can learn that with God as well. But we have to realize, God’s already made the first move. He loves us – but won’t force Himself on us. I have an article on that as well if you’d like to read more on the thought.
It’s titled from our point of view, but then explains why our viewpoint isn’t quite right – but that God already made the first move. Just check out the adjacent inset box.
Grief, Joy, and the Paradox of Jesus’ Promises
It’s not just the Beatitudes that challenge our assumptions. Jesus consistently reframes joy and suffering throughout His ministry. We’re going to examine several passages from the Bible as we continue to look at “Human Happiness vs. God’s Joy”. Let’s begin with what Jesus says in maybe the best known verse in the Bible: John 16…
Christians “know” certain passages, but do we understand them?
Do we understand John 3:16?
For instance, all Christians and a whole lot of non-Christians know John 3:16. But do even Christians understand the two opposing messages of what comes after John 3:16?
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus 🔍
…
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
…
Did you notice – there’s salvation and condemnation in the same passage. Depending on our mood when we read it, we could come to very different conclusions. Some people do reach a negative one first and never recover from that negative feeling to realize there’s actually something very positive about the first verse.
Oftentimes the feeling is that God’s so mean because He condemns people. We lose sight of the reality that, if God created us and everything else in this universe we live in, He does have the right to expect and even require that we act in certain ways if we want to spend eternity with Him. If we choose not to act in ways that are good, then it’s us who make the choice to live apart from Him. We’ll get more into this concept as we go along.
From the well-known to the mostly unknown
John 3:16 is familiar to many—an open invitation to eternal life through belief in Jesus. But Scripture doesn’t stop there. For those who turn down that invitation, the story continues in ways that are less quoted, less comfortable, and far more sobering. Revelation 14:14 reveals what ultimately happens when the offer of salvation is refused in the passage titled The Harvest of the Earth in the NIV.
Do we understand the much more complex “Harvest of the Earth” in Revelation?
So now, in Revelation, we see this salvation and condemnation carried out:
The Harvest of the Earth 🔍
Before even reading this passage, just the name given to it by the NIV translators likely gives us a nervous feeling about what’s coming. I mean – are people going to be harvested? And then, when we find out the answer’s yes – that nervousness may grow to sheer panic!
Rev 14:14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
Rev 14:17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city , and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
This passage is difficult for people today to understand because it has to do with harvesting “bad” fruit. Back then, they didn’t have huge corporate farms. They also didn’t have mechanical ways to care for or harvest crops. It was a very manual process. Bad fruit would be removed so it doesn’t spoil the good fruit. Do you even remember the old saying – one bad apple can ruin the whole crop? And so, it’s taken out. Not so much anymore, unless it’s a small personal garden or field.
So, we read it and probably think it’s the final harvesting of every person on earth. But it’s not. Not unless we assume that everyone who was “good” was raptured and no one else will be saved. However, there’s no 100% guaranteed statement in the Bible that says such is the case.
The far more likely scenario is that it’s a harvest of non-believers, but believers will remain. Of course, scholars disagree on this, just like much of the vision in Revelation. In this case, what I’m pointing out is that, until Rev 19, whoever remains on earth that isn’t yet a believer still has a chance to turn to Jesus.
Even now though, the question is always there in the mind of every person, until they make that decision, do I believe God is good – or that God’s out to get me?
And then there’s always this option – I’m fine with my life the way it is. I’m happy enough right now. Why do I want to get involved with this whole God question when I’m already satisfied? I don’t want to make a choice between salvation and condemnation because this life, whatever “this life” is – it’s good enough for me.
Do you see? Both messages have salvation and condemnation in them. But which one is for us? And can we get past the initial reaction that many people have, and realize that this is good news for us, if we desire the kind of life that the vast majority of people actually do consider to be good?
Let’s take it back to Mikey. If his mind works anything like ours when it comes to feeling safe or afraid, maybe we can envision a scenario like this one. At this point, Mikey really looks like he wants to be friends with other people. He has lots of positive feedback loops with us. When we walk and he sees someone we often stop and talk with, his tail wags and he pulls to get to that person. But when the moment comes, the person gives even a small sign that they might reach down to pet him – fear kicks in and his teeth are bared. Not the Tasmanian devil routine he used to go into, but clearly not quite ready either.
Let’s Pause and Regroup: Where Are We Now
We’ve journeyed through Mikey’s story, the paradox of the Beatitudes, and the dual messages woven through Romans and John. We’ve seen how joy and judgment coexist—and how Jesus’ invitation is both comforting and challenging.
Before we go further, let’s pause. It’s a chance for you to absorb what we’ve covered, and reflect on how it’s affected your thinking and the direction you want your life to go in.
This isn’t just about theology. It’s about how we live, how we trust, and what kind of happiness we’re really chasing.
Is happiness really not for this life?
Am I saying that happiness isn’t for this life? That we shouldn’t want it, let alone even have it?
Let’s take it back to the prosperity gospel preaching we looked at earlier. You know – God wants us to be happy. Does all this mean happiness isn’t a realistic expectation for this life? But wait just a minute. That’s wrong. Totally wrong. Not to say the “prosperity gospel” people are right – ’cause they aren’t.
Let’s turn to a different passage in John’s Gospel. It reminds us that Jesus also said:
The Vine and the Branches 🔍
Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Well, at the time, Jesus was talking to His disciples. So the words were true for them. For us today – they’re also true – if, and only if – we are true disciples as well. That means disciples as defined by Jesus – not disciples as defined by us.
You may have noticed, this is a very different look at the analogy to gardening, farming and removing fruit. But it’s a different situation, so pay close attention.
That’s the start of answering our question about understanding two sides of Jesus’ and the Bible’s message. Even here, where it seems there’s only one message, there are actually two. One for the true disciple. And the unspoken message to the non-disciple or false-disciple – you are not clean because of Jesus’ words, because you don’t understand them and therefore cannot possibly follow them or be affected by them.
Jn 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
If a man remains in me has a message for the true disciple.
If anyone does not remain in me has a message for the non-disciple. I’m not going to get into the theological question of whether or not one can lose salvation – or if someone like this never had it in the first place. That’s for another series – free will versus predestiny.
The key here is that, in order to really understand and be a true disciple – Jesus tells us we must remain in Him. Short of that, we cannot really understand the message. We won’t understand what Jesus’ words really mean.
Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Jesus continues the previous thought, and then begins to talk about joy. Joy, in the Biblical sense, isn’t happy in the worldly sense. That’s yet one more thing we need to understand, but cannot understand unless we are true disciples.
Now We See It: Joy Enters the Story
Think about this. My title is Human Happiness vs. God’s Joy. And this is the first time we read a verse that actually has the word joy! But even here, when we finally get to read about it, it’s part of a mixed message and it’s not easy to understand. All that can make it hard to believe as well.
As I just pointed out, even here then, there are two messages. One that the true disciple will understand. And one that the non-disciple will likely think is for them – but isn’t. Along with that, there will be misunderstandings of things like love, laying down one’s life, and getting whatever we ask for.
Until now, we’ve been wrestling with the word “happy”—its limitations, its translations, its emotional weight. But here, in John 15, Jesus finally names something deeper. Joy. Not circumstantial happiness, but something rooted in relationship, obedience, and abiding. This is the turning point—and it’s where we begin to see why joy is so much more than happiness.
The Roller Coaster of Faith: When Grief Turns to Joy
Do Jesus’ next words make things more simple – or even more complicated? It really shouldn’t.
Life isn’t a straight line—it’s a roller coaster. And if Scripture is going to speak to us authentically, it has to reflect that. The Bible doesn’t flatten our experience; it honors the ups and downs, the fear and the hope, the grief and the joy. In John 16, Jesus names that very rhythm—and promises that sorrow isn’t the end of the story.
I say that because Jesus also said:
The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy 🔍
Just the NIV title for this passage tells us something important. Grief to Joy. Which of us has not felt grief? Who among us is totally 100% happy in this life? Aren’t we looking for something better?
Jn 16:17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
Jn 16:19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
Two things are happening here. First – we see that even Jesus’ own disciples who are with Him don’t understand. One huge difference between them and us though, is that they know they don’t understand. Too often, we think we understand, but are completely lost.
The other thing is related to when Jesus said, I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. Weep and especially mourn. Sounds like the Beatitudes. And grief turning to joy. Sadness into joy. Again, sounds like the Beatitudes. Well, it sounds like the Beatitudes with the word “joy” rather than “happy”.
I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy sounds like the next life. But remember, Jesus returned in their lifetime. True – He’ll also “leave” them again, when He returns to Heaven. But after His resurrection, the disciples will see Jesus, and their joy will begin to return. After the Ascension, and when they receive the Holy Spirit, their joy will never be taken away again. Even in this life.
So we see joy again. Happiness, of a sort. But so much more and so different. We see that at some point it will never be taken away from the true disciple. On the flip side, the non-disciple will have a different kind of joy / happiness. And even that will be taken away.
Again, these are things to be remembered and considered as we read and try to understand the Bible – including Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes. As Jesus says (in the GNT), Happy are …
and Jesus also said this, praying for us, but also reminding us that He’s with us on the ride of our lives, and that we can have His joy even as we experience the ups and downs.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples 🔍
Jn 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Jn 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
Check this out – “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. The true disciple may have the full measure of Jesus’ joy. And that’s not after death and when the next life begins. We know that, because Jesus then says, As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. Yes – while they – and we – are still in the world.
That’s the message for the true disciple.
For the non-disciple, in case you missed it, the message was this: I pray for them (the true disciple). I am not praying for the world (everyone else), but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
Another Pause and Regroup Moment
So after all that, can you see that everything we just looked at contains two messages? One for the true disciple. And one for everyone else. Jesus’ words can be a message of great joy / happiness and salvation. Or, they can be a message of condemnation. They can be understood, by some. And they can be misunderstood or completely lost on others.
Not only that, but they include an invitation for the nonbeliever to become a believer, a disciple, and begin to experience this incredible joy. That’s certainly something to reflect on if you don’t have that feeling of joy but want it. As you reflect, remember this: happiness isn’t dependent on our circumstances. We can and will experience joy with Jesus in our lives, even at the scariest parts of the roller coaster life we live.
If you’re not so sure that’s possible, I invite you to check out a couple of my own experiences that left no doubt for me: God – is it time for me to go home? after getting a staph infection that was antibiotic resistant and an ongoing series on my experiences with cancer in Don’t waste your cancer.
The words are there for us to read. To pay attention to, if we want to. To try to understand, if we want to. To ignore, if we want to. It’s really up to us. However, unless / until we realize that there are, in reality, two sets of messages, I don’t believe that we can truly understand and even begin to really appreciate those words.
Another way to put it – we may have some measure of joy if we only partially understand. However, until we understand both sides of what Jesus has said, can we really attain the full measure of His (my) joy within us (them)? I suspect not.
Of course, I’m not saying that we’ll ever fully understand God in this life. It’s just not going to happen. It’s a matter of degree. And of intent. It’s a progression. If we don’t even start to try to understand – we obviously won’t. But the more intent we are in trying to understand, the further we’ll move on that line of progression towards a more complete, but still incomplete, understanding.
Joy Is the Invitation—Not the Absence of Happiness
We’ve explored the difference between happiness and joy—how one fades with circumstances, while the other deepens through relationship. But let’s be clear: God doesn’t desire for us to be miserable. He doesn’t call us to reject happiness altogether. Instead, He invites us to choose joy—His joy. A joy that sustains us, transforms us, and reframes how we experience everything else. So now we ask…
Does that mean no “worldly” joy / happiness?
So does that mean we shouldn’t have any of that worldly joy / happiness? Does that mean we shouldn’t enjoy the things of this world at all? Should we basically live a depressed / unhappy life in every way other than what we’re about to read in the Beatitudes?
This goes back to the opening paragraphs.
Are we supposed to be happy? To most people, the answer is probably obvious. At least it seems obvious. But to others, like me, who have issues with depression – the answer is hardly obvious at all. Being happy can feel like something for other people. Whether happiness is something to experience can be a question for Christians as well.
You may think I’m going to say yes – we should only find happiness in the things from the Beatitudes. But I think that misses the joy / happiness the Bible tells us about.
Two Messages in One Gospel: Love and Wrath in Romans
This tension—between comfort and challenge, joy and judgment—runs throughout Scripture. One of the clearest examples comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans…
Remember something we saw earlier:
God’s Wrath Against Mankind 🔍
Ro 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
…
Notice – For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.
There are good things in the world. Yes, things went south, so to speak, after The Fall. But things didn’t go entirely and completely bad. Evidence of the good remains. In fact, Paul tells us that there’s still enough good after the fall that evidence of God remains. Enough evidence that His eternal power and divine nature should be obvious to us, even today.
Also, something we didn’t read yet, also from Romans –
Future Glory 🔍
Ro 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Ro 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Ro 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
Paul writes that all of creation is subject to decay – but not that it’s totally 100% bad and evil.
But also notice this: We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Creation seems to be aware of something that we, with all our intelligence, don’t always figure out.
However, the really mind-blowing words on this topic came in the Old Testament
We’ve seen how the New Testament reframes happiness and joy—but some of the most mind-blowing insights on this topic come from the Old Testament. These ancient words don’t just echo the theme—they deepen it, revealing that all of creation longs for the joy God offers.
Psalm 66 🔍
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
Ps 66:1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Ps 66:2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
Ps 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
Ps 66:4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.”
Yes – All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.
Even the earth – subjected to the frustration that Paul wrote about, because of our action in the Garden of Eden, in some way / some fashion, “understands” something that we cannot. Or is it “will not”, because we don’t want to?
Even the Stones Know: Jesus Echoes Creation’s Cry
If you don’t quite follow that, consider something Jesus said. The psalms remind us that all the earth sings for joy. But Jesus takes it even further. In Luke’s Gospel, He declares that if His followers were silent, the very stones would cry out. It’s a stunning echo of the Old Testament’s voice of creation—and a sobering reminder that sometimes, the world sees what we refuse to.
The Triumphal Entry 🔍
19:29-38 pp — Mt 21:1-9; Mk 11:1-10 19:35-38 pp — Jn 12:12-15
Lk 19:28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
Lk 19:32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
Lk 19:34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
Lk 19:35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
Lk 19:37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
Lk 19:38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Lk 19:39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
Lk 19:40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Lk 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Ultimately, we see that all of creation – even the stones of the earth – know what’s going on. And they’ll all cry out with praise to God. Except most of us. We won’t.
It’s a message that seems so obvious. And yet, to most, it’s not obvious at all.
Just like the Beatitudes. To some, they are amazing truth. To others, they’re words for someone else. To still others, they’re weird – backwards – ways to control people. And to still others, they don’t even know. Or care.
What Kind of Joy Are We Really Seeking?
“All of this leads to a final question—one that shapes how we read the Beatitudes, and how we live: What kind of joy are we really seeking?”
Conclusions – happy or not? Happiness or depression? Or something else?
In Proverbs, Solomon writes:
Pr 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The unwritten, and maybe misunderstood part of that – Not everything we try to commit to the Lord is actually accepted by the Lord. It’s not only our committing it to God that matters. It’s the combination of our committing things to God, and also His acceptance of our commitments. If we offer something that’s offensive or wrong to God – He will reject it.
Paul writes:
The Believer’s Freedom 🔍
1Co 10:23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
1Co 10:25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
1Co 10:27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake— 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
1Co 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1Co 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Freedom in Joy: When Taste Becomes Thanksgiving
It’s not about the food—it’s about the freedom to enjoy it. Whether it’s uni and ikura, a warm bowl of soup, or your favorite comfort dish, the believer’s joy isn’t found in the ingredients. It’s found in the ability to receive them with gratitude, without guilt, and with full awareness that God delights in our delight. That’s the kind of joy Jesus invites us into—not just in worship, but in everyday moments.
As an example, my dinner tonight was uni and ikura (that’s sea urchin and salmon eggs – both raw) over rice. I think those are two of the best tasting / textural foods created for us to eat. And I’m grateful to God every time I get to eat them.
On the other hand, I’ve been offered food from sacrifices made for other religions – but would only eat them when others present know that doesn’t mean I subscribe to that religion – because I don’t. If I can’t do that – then I wouldn’t eat it at all. That’s just the way we should be.
But it’s not just food. It’s everything – whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Yes – everything.
There are more examples, but for those who will get the point, this is enough. For those who won’t or don’t want to get the point, no amount would be enough.
And so – that’s some of the thinking we should do as we go through the Beatitudes. And although I’ve written this as part of the Beatitudes series – blessed are / happy are – these things are important for any Bible reading / study.
One more thing
I must’ve been dreaming about this last night – after posting it. It occurred to me that some may come away with the idea that I’m saying one needs to be depressed in order to understand the Beatitudes. Of course, that’s not at all what I’m saying.
The concept to come away with is this: people who suffer from depression can’t begin to do anything about it until we both recognize that we have it, and then accept that it’s not “normal” and something can be done about it.
In a similar way, when we view life in this world, we have to first recognize that this isn’t the way it was supposed to be. The Bible makes that very clear. However, we need to both recognize that – and accept it before we can begin to understand and act on God’s plan for making things right.
It’s the process – the recognition, the acceptance, the desire and willingness to do something about it. And unless we actually see all of that for the way things are – and the way things should have been, without sin – then we can’t truly understand our part in that plan.
It doesn’t matter how we reach the point where we can see, recognize and desire something better. It doesn’t matter how we come to love and desire God. This is just one way that I can write about – because it’s a big part of how I came to that realization. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve hung on to this passage:
Ask, Seek, Knock 🔍
7:7-11 pp — Lk 11:9-13
Mt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Mt 7:9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
The desire for that Father, instead of the biological one I had, is something I’ve never forgotten.
So for you – however you get there – That understanding of how things really are – and how they could be – I believe we need to have it in order to have a better appreciation for God’s Word.
If we don’t think there’s anything wrong with this world, we won’t desire anything better.
And if we don’t think things can get better, we won’t desire anything better.
Even if we do think things can be better, if we don’t care about other people, we’re missing out on love – the kind of love that God has for us.
All of those are things to think about as we read the Bible. As we study the Beatitudes.
Discover more from God versus religion
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.