Sin deserves no joy. Truth does.

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by Laura Bazal

This week’s lesson focused on the verse from 1 Corinthians 13:6 that says “Love rejoices not in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.”

Two key points made with this chapter were as follows:

1.       Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing.  It does not take joy in sinning, and it doesn’t take joy in other’s sinfulness. 

There are two angles with which we can look at this concept. 

 There is a part of sinfulness that is very self-centered, where we actually enjoy a certain sin. 

Maybe it’s gossip, where we are fine with discussing others in an excessive and ultimately destructive way.

Maybe it’s lying, where we choose to save our reputation and put on a false persona instead of being honest about our faults. 

Maybe it’s lust, where we queue up anything on Netflix or Hulu that will satisfy our desires. 

 It’s easy, or easier, to see this as sin.  We know that it’s wrong, but even more so, there is little justification for identifying these things as “right.”

 Then there is the rejoicing in wrong doing that is destructive – both to us, and to others.

 This is where our chapter leads us – to Luke 7.  Here we see Jesus at the residence of Simon, the Pharisee.  He has invited Jesus to dine with him so he can find out if he truly is a prophet. 

 They are outside in a n open, courtyard-like setting, accessible to passersby, and here comes a woman who is called a “sinner.”  She is likely of the lower citizens of this community, among the disgraceful and far less than worthy.

 When she comes to Jesus to worship him, she does so in an extravagant and very emotional way.  This makes Simon feel scandalized. 

 He may have been right in feeling upset by the disregard for civility, but what he ultimately displays is a clear satisfaction of the woman’s wrongdoing. 

 Ultimately, Simon is glad that the woman’s sins are happening so that she can be condemn by him.  We see that this joy in another’s destructive nature is exactly the opposite of what Love is.

2.       Love rejoices in the truth.

 Ryken explains that the bible seems to not simply have the view that the truth mentioned here is not only the Gospel, but that it’s “truth in all its forms, which the loving person always embraces.” 

 God is the author of truth, and Jesus displays his joy in the truth by exalting this woman’s faith and the newly forgiven person that she is.  He takes joy in her repentant heart, and He restores her life and her soul.

 It’s very, very easy for us to see people who are doing wrong and to identify that wrongdoing as bad.  Perhaps it’s also easy for us to see others struggling, earnestly trying to get better, and then choosing to condemn them in their struggles instead of considering their situation, loving them like Christ, and encouraging them to always live for Him. 

 We aren’t called to look at wrongdoing and brush it away.  When a person, Christian or otherwise, sins, it is a good and right thing for their sin to be identified as such. 

 What is not good is for others to look at sinfulness and be happy, or thankful, that it’s happening, even if the sin happening is what brings the sinner’s faults to light.  We should be grieved by sin coming from anyone – the Christ-made righteous and man-made unrighteous alike. 

 What we ultimately should hope for, when a person’s sinfulness becomes apparent, is that the sinner repents and knows the truth, the Gospel, the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus shows us that Love rejoices in the truth.  We, like him, should seek to restore and pray for the ultimate restoration of all of those around us.  It’s hard for me not to condemn, but it’s also hard for me not to take joy in sinning, too.  Only through Jesus can I both avoid rejoicing in wrongdoing and truly live and take joy in the Truth.

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I'm thankful that I was at small group this week to discuss this lesson collectively, because it caused me to really examine my heart and how I approach sin in my life and in the lives of others. What I discovered was the necessity to examine my heart attitude toward others and test it against Christ's example of love and the perfect balance of righteousness and grace.  I'll never live up to this in my lifetime, but I'm thankful to God that He is making me more like this every day.

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