Rejoice (5463) (chairo) means to be "cheer" full, calmly happy or well-off. Chairo implies and imparts joy. Chairo is used in a whole range of situations in which the emotion of joy is evoked. To be in a state of happiness and well being (often independent of what is happening when the Source is the Spirit!). Chairo means to enjoy a state of gladness, to be delighted.
Chairo was used in greetings (welcome, good day, hail to you, I am glad to see you) in the imperative mood implying a wish for well being or happiness to the recipient (Mt 26:49). Chairo is used in the introduction to a letter (Ac 15:23; 23:26; James 1:1). Chairo is translated "Hail!" several times in the Gospels (Mt 26:49, 27:29, Mk 15:18, Lk 1:27).
TDNT - chairo means “to rejoice,” “to be merry.” chaire serves as a morning greeting. It is above all a greeting to the gods and is a stereotyped ending to hymns. The verb is also an epistolary formula in greetings from sender to recipient.
Zodhiates - The word cháris (5485) is related to chaírō (5463), to rejoice, and chará (5479), joy, delight, the result of the activity of the grace of God in man.
Stephen Renner on chairo - Predominant in the usage of chairo is the focus on rejoicing over the redemptive deeds of God that come to fruition in the gospel in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. A general feeling of delight and well-being is noted, for example, in Lk 23: 8; Jn 3:29; Ro 12:15. Rejoicing at God’s fulfillment of his promise to provide a messianic deliverer for his people is noted in 10" class="scriptRef">Mt 2:10 (the reaction of the magi at seeing the divinely-guided star); in Jn 8:56 (Jesus’ claim that Abraham rejoiced at seeing his day); and in Lk 1:14. Frequently, joy is expressed at the prospect of heaven and eternal life (cf. Mt 5:12; Lk 6:23; Jn 4:36; Ro 12:12). Delight in God’s goodness to his people is noted (Acts 11:23; Ro 16:19; 2Co. 7: 7), as is joy in the faithfulness of believers (Col. 2: 5; 1Th. 3: 9; 2Jo. 1: 4; 3Jo. 1: 3). As a corollary to this, rejoicing in the repentance of sinners is described in 2Co. 7: 9. In Acts 8:39; 13:48; Rev. 19: 7, salvation is the focus of people’s delight. Paul declares in 1Co. 13: 6 that love rejoices in righteousness, and he rejoices at the spread of the gospel in Php. 1:18. Joy is found even in traumatic circumstances — for example, in Acts 5:41; Col. 1:24; 1Pe. 4:13, which contain evidence of joy experienced in the midst of persecution on account of the gospel, as well as an exhortation to so rejoice. Similarly, 2Co. 6:10 records the apostle Paul’s joy in the midst of sorrow. Regarding the person and work of Christ, the joy of the Jewish people in witnessing the miracles of Jesus is noted (cf. Lk 13:17; 19:37). The disciples rejoice at the Lord’s resurrection in Jn 20:20. The apostle Paul exhorts his readers to rejoice in the Lord in Php. 3: 1; 4:4, 10. In the parable depicting the immeasurable value of the kingdom of God, joy is expressed in the discovery of the lost sheep, a symbol of that infinite value (cf. Mt 18:13; Lk 15: 5). In a number of negative contexts, wicked people express an evil delight — for example, those who are anticipating the destruction of Jesus Christ through his betrayal at the hands of Judas (cf. Mk 14:11; Lk 22: 5). And in Rev. 11:10 the wicked rejoice over the death of the two prophets. Chara [5479] is the noun derived from chairo. It occurs around sixty times and is consistently translated “joy,” “gladness.” The range of contexts is quite similar to that of chairo. (Expository Dictionary Of Bible Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words - Stephen D. Renn)
Wayne Detzler - The Greek dramatist Aeschylus (525-456 BC) concluded, "Joy [is] a beauteous spark divine." To ancient Greeks it was a greeting, a wish for the happiness of one's friend. It was also the object of fellowship, as seen in the festal joy of religion. Greeks spoke, as we do, of "tears of joy." Homer saw joy as being rooted in human passions, as we may "feel" joyful. On the other hand, the Stoics (who are mentioned in Acts 17:18) were a sour bunch of Greek philosophers. They had no room for joy, which they regarded as a false judgment of reality. If you felt joyful, you must be ignorant of the facts! (Most of us know people like that.) The Greek Old Testament made much of joy. It referred to weddings as joyful feasts. Joy also characterized Israel when they had a great military victory, and joy was part of the true worship of God....Chairo the word "gladness' or "joy" is full of meaning for a Christian. The reason is not just cultural, because many Greeks used the word to greet people. For a Christian there is a true Source of joy, none other than the Lord Himself. (New Testament Words in Today's Language)
"It is no accident that the words appear particularly where there is express mention of the eschatological fulfilment in Christ, of being in him, and of hope in him. But it ought not to be overlooked that the whole NT message as the proclamation of God’s saving work in Christ is a message of joy." (Beyreuther)
H. W. Webb-Peploe. In speaking of joy he said: "Joy is not gush; joy is not jolliness. Joy is perfect acquiescence in God's will because the soul delights itself in God Himself."
Luke uses chairo most often of all the NT writers (20 in the Gospel of Luke and 11 in Acts). The most concentrated use of chairo by far however is found in Paul's epistle to the Philippians (14x).
Vine's discussion of chairo (Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words) - "to rejoice," is most frequently so translated. As to this verb, the following are grounds and occasions for "rejoicing," on the part of believers...
in the Lord, Php 3:1; 4:4 ;
His incarnation, Lk 1:14;
His power, Luke 13:17
His presence with the Father, Jn 14:28
His presence with them, Jn 16:22 ; 20:20
His ultimate triumph, Jn 8:56
hearing the gospel, Acts 13:48
their salvation, Acts 8:39
receiving the Lord, Lk 19:6
their enrollment in Heaven, Lk 10:20
their liberty in Christ, Acts 15:31
their hope, Ro 12:12 (cp. Ro 5:2 ; Rev 19:7)
their prospect of reward, Mt 5:12
the proclamation of Christ, Php 1:18
the gospel harvest, Jn 4:36
suffering with Christ, Acts 5:41 1Pe 4:13
suffering in the cause of the gospel, 2Cor 13:9 Php 2:17 Col 1:24
in persecutions, trials and afflictions, Mt 5:12 ; Lk 6:23 2Cor 6:10
the manifestation of grace, Acts 11:23
meeting with fellow believers, 1Cor 16:17 Php 2:28
receiving tokens of love and fellowship, Php 4:10
the "rejoicing" of others, Ro 12:15 ; 2Cor 7:13
learning of the well-being of others, 2Cor 7:16
obedience & godly conduct of fellow believers-9" class="scriptRef">Ro 16:19 2Co 7:7,9,13:9 Col 2:5 1Th 3:9 2Jn 1:4 3Jn 1:3
BELOW ARE ALL OF VINE'S ENTRIES FOR CHAIRO (THERE IS CLEARLY SOME REPETITION)
See FAREWELL ("to joy, rejoice, be glad," is used in the imperative mood in salutations, (a) on meeting, "Hail," e.g., Matthew 26:49 ; or with lego, "to say, to give a greeting," 2 John 1:11 ; in letters; "greeting," e.g., Acts 15:23 ; (b) at parting, the underlying thought being joy, 2 Corinthians 13:11 (RV, marg., "rejoice"); (c) on other occasions, see the RV marg. in Philippians 3:1 ; 4:4 .
See GLAD = is the usual word for "rejoicing, being glad;" it is rendered by the verb "to be glad" in Mark 14:11 ; Luke 15:32 ; 22:5 ; 23:8 ; John 8:56 ; 11:15 ; 20:20 ; Acts 11:23 ; 13:48 ; in the following the RV has "to rejoice" for AV, "to be glad," Romans 16:19 ; 1 Corinthians 16:17 ; 2 Corinthians 13:9 ; 1 Peter 4:13 ; Revelation 19:7 .
See HAIL = "to rejoice," is used in the imperative mood, (a) as a salutation, only in the Gospels; in this respect it is rendered simply "hail," in mockery of Christ, Matthew 26:49 ; 27:29 ; Mark 15:18 ; John 19:3 ; (b) as a greeting, by the angel Gabriel to Mary, Luke 1:28 , and, in the plural, by the Lord to the disciples after His resurrection, Matthew 28:9 .
See JOY = "to rejoice, be glad," is translated "joyfully" in Luke 19:6 , lit., "rejoicing;" "we joyed," 2Corinthians 7:13 ; "I joy," Philippians 2:17 ; "do ye joy," Philippians 2:18 ; "joying," Colossians 2:5 ; "we joy," 1Thessalonians 3:9 . It is contrasted with weeping and sorrow, e.g., in John 16:20,22 ; Romans 12:15 ; 1Corinthians 7:30 (cp. Ps 30:5 ).
See GREETING = "to rejoice," is thrice used as a formula of salutation in Acts 15:23, "send greeting," "greeting;" so Acts 23:26 ; James 1:1. In 2John 1:10,11 , the RV substitutes the phrase (to give) "greeting," for the AV (to bid) "God speed."
NIDNTT - chairō, to be glad, rejoice (related to the Sanskrit haryati, to take pleasure in, and the Old High German geron, to desire), and chara, joy, are attested from Homer onwards. chairein epi (also dia, en, peri) means to rejoice over someone or something. The reason for the joy is introduced with hoti (that) or appears in a participial form. The pres. imperative frequently occurs in the greeting chaire (sing.), chairete (plur.), “Hail!” At the opening of a letter in the infin. chairein, is often used in which case the vb. legei has to be supplied (cf. Funk § 480): “[… says] greetings!” The same formula is used in drinking a toast, “Good health!”, and at parting, “Farewell!” The phrases chairein charan megalēn (be filled with intense joy) and chara chairein (rejoice greatly), which occur in the NT, doubtless go back to OT influence (Matt. 2:10; cf. Jon. 4:6; Jn. 3:29; cf. Isa. 66:10). chara denotes both the state and the object of the joy. Also to be noted is the etymological connection with charis (grace) which has not always been clearly distinguished in meaning from chara.
Rejoice (Webster's definition of our English word) - Transitive verb = To give joy to, To make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate. Intransitive verb = to feel joy or great delight. To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.
Chairo - 74 times in 68 verses -- Usage: am glad (1), glad (7), gladly (1), greeted* (1), greeting (2), greetings (4), hail (4), joyfully (1), make (1), rejoice (33), rejoiced (8), rejoices (2), rejoicing (10).
Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 5:12-note "Rejoice (chairo) and be glad (agalliao) for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 18:13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
Matthew 26:49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.
Matthew 27:29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
Matthew 28:9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
Mark 14:11 They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.
Mark 15:18 and they began to acclaim Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
Luke 1:14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
28 And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
Luke 6:23 "Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
Luke 10:20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
Luke 13:17 As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.
Luke 15:5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:32 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother (prodigal son) of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"
Luke 19:6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.
37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,
Luke 22:5 They were glad and agreed to give him money.
Comment: Evil rejoicing!
Luke 23:8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.
Comment: Evil rejoicing!
John 3:29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.
John 4:36 "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
John 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
John 11:15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."
John 14:28 "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
John 16:20 "Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.
22 "Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
John 19:3 and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face.
John 20:20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Acts 5:41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Acts 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
Acts 11:23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;
Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 15:23 and they sent this letter by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Acts 23:26 "Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 16:19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
1 Corinthians 7:30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;
1 Corinthians 13:6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
1 Corinthians 16:17 I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.
2 Corinthians 2:3 This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all.
2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
2 Corinthians 7:7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
16 I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 13:9 For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete.
11 Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Philippians 1:18-note What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
Philippians 2:17-note But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Philippians 2:28-note Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
Philippians 3:1-note Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
Philippians 4:4-note Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:10-note But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.
Colossians 1:24-note Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
Comment: Verses such as this one clearly show that Christian rejoicing is not natural but supernatural. Who rejoices in prison? Paul filled with the Spirit (cf Paul and Silas Acts 16:25!)
Colossians 2:5-note For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-note For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-note Rejoice always;
James 1:1-note James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
1 Peter 4:13-note but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
2 John 1:4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting (KJV = "God speed" - means essentially "good cheer!" It is any expression of fellowship and good will, and should not be used to encourage a false teacher);
11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
3 John 1:3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.
Revelation 11:10-note And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
Comment: Here we see unregenerate earth dwellers rejoicing, but their joy is dependent (not independent) of circumstances (the murder of the two witnesses who railed against them). Their rejoicing will soon be turned to cries of fear and despair for having rejected so great a salvation in Christ!
Revelation 19:7-note "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."
Comment: Let us practice rejoicing now on earth so that we are prepared for that glorious day in heaven when we shall rejoice in His very presence! C. S. Lewis wrote, "Joy is the serious business of heaven."
Chairo - 39 verses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Ge 45:16; 14" class="scriptRef">Ex 4:14, 31; 1Sa 19:5; 20" class="scriptRef">1Kgs 4:20; 5:7; 8:66; 2Ki 11:14, 20; 20:13; Esther 8:12, 15; Ps 96:12; Pr 2:14; 6:16; 17:19; 23.25" class="scriptRef">23:25; 24:19; Isa 13:3; 39:2; 48:22; 57:21; 66:10, 14; Jer 7:34; 31:13; Lam 1:21; 4:21; Ezek 7:12; Hos 9:1; Joel 2:21, 23; Jonah 4:6; Hab 1:15; 3:18; Zeph 3:14; Zech 4:10; 9:9; 10:7.
Here is the only use of chairo in the Psalms...
Ps 96:12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
In Isaiah we find chairo used in the context of God fulfilling His prophetic promises to Israel when the nation returns to the Lord and He returns the land and the city to them...
Isaiah 66:10 "Be joyful (Lxx = euphraino) with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad (Lxx has two related words - chairo chara ~ I would paraphrase as "rejoice with joy") with her, all you who mourn over her,
Isaiah 66:14 Then (context - Isa 66:11-13) you will see this, and your heart will be glad (Lxx = chairo), And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be indignant toward His enemies.
Again in the context of God fulfilling His promises to Israel...
Zeph 3:14 (context Zeph 3:11-13) Shout for joy (Lxx = chairo), O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
George Fox, the great Quaker, recorded this prayer in his diary: "I prayed to God that He would baptize my heart into all conditions so I might be able to enter the needs and conditions of all."
At first thought, that principle would seem easy to follow. But when another person’s blessing and happiness is at our expense, or when their favored circumstances or notable accomplishments make ours seem barren and dull, the flesh does not lead us to rejoice but tempts us to resent.
A sorrow shared is
But half a trouble.
A joy that’s shared is
A joy made double.
Paul exhorts us to be considerate of the feelings of others instead of waiting for them to be considerate of our feelings. Because believers are a body, when one part hurts, everyone feels the pain & conversely when one is joyful, should rejoice. (1Co 12:25, 26). Empathy is the capacity for sharing vicariously the feelings and emotions of others. Our tendency even as believers is to be jealous when others rejoice, and to pass them by when they mourn. God’s will is that His children become a family where the joys of one become the joys of all and the pain of one is gladly shared by all the others. The elder brother in the account of the prodigal son provides a clear example of the failure to join in rejoicing (Lk 15:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32). On the other hand, the Gospels record that upon meeting Mary following the death of her brother, “Jesus wept” (Jn 11:35).
Wayne Barber comments on this section...
Could we all be honest? If you would just get flat out honest, that is the way it is. Flesh (Ed note: our old self or old man, our nature inherited from Adam) doesn’t rejoice. If somebody in your church whom you know real well inherited a million dollars, could you say, "I am so happy for you"? No, you walk away saying, "God, how come it is him? How come it couldn’t be me?" You see, we can’t rejoice. Only when God the Holy Spirit is in charge of us can we rejoice when they rejoice. That is the key, not the weeping, but the rejoicing.
But that is not what he is talking about here. I don’t believe that has a thing to do with it. I think it is certainly involved in the truth, but he has not left the theme of persecution. He says, "Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice." Now there is a rejoicing and there is a weeping when people go through persecution. We have to understand that.
Look in Acts 5:41 at people together rejoicing because of persecution. You begin to understand the honor of being persecuted. We dread it. Oh, no. We need to look forward to the fact that God exalts us in persecution. He is exalted in persecution, but He is honoring us because He is trusting us by our walk.
"So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name."
Now look at Romans 5:3 (see notes on Romans 5:3). We have looked at this before, but I want you to see it now. Romans 5:3 says the same thing. There is a rejoicing in this. Yes, there is a weeping. It is a two-sided coin. On one side we are weeping because it is painful and it is difficult. On the other side there is a reason that we can rejoice with one another.
"And not only this," it says, "but we also exult in our tribulations," we rejoice in our tribulations, "knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance.... hope does not disappoint."
We know those verses. Paul is saying when you go through a trial, God the Holy Spirit begins to show you the honor of going through it. But you also begin to experience and feel the pain of having to go through it. Do you realize when somebody persecutes you, they have honored you and deemed you worthy to be dishonored and shamed for the cause of Christ? We look at it exactly the opposite, but God looks at it this way. Whenever I am being persecuted, I ought to back off and say, "Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Something is going right in my life. And the Christ in me, being manifested in His love through me, is drawing persecution from the world. They can’t stand it. They fight against it. Somehow our walk has been deemed worthy so that we might be disapproved and put to shame for the cause of Christ."
But there is also that weeping with others as they weep. There is a weeping and there is a rejoicing that the family of God shares together as they live godly lives, surrendered to the Holy Spirit of God, letting God be who He is in their life.
It is a beautiful picture here, an attitude of understanding each other, an attitude of joining hands and saying, "Okay, man, I am praying for you. You pray for me. I weep with you and you weep with me." But we will all rejoice together when our walk is such that persecution is what is effected and caused because of it. That is the key.
Now, in order for that to happen there is something that God the Holy Spirit does in me and in you. It takes me off the pedestal and puts me down where I belong. All of a sudden down here, I begin to see people who are hurting everywhere. Remember this, I am not always being persecuted, but somebody is. It makes me aware of it because I may be next. There is no time out when I can start thinking about Wayne. We are always considering those who are going through it because, as I said, we may be next. (from sermon Romans 12:14-17 Responsibilities Under Grace 7)
In an illustration from the sports world we read about Rickey Henderson breaking Lou Brock's stolen base record...
New Record - Forty thousand fans were on hand in the Oakland stadium when Rickey Henderson tied Lou Brock’s career stolen base record. According to USA Today Lou, who had left baseball in 1979, had followed Henderson’s career and was excited about his success. Realizing that Rickey would set a new record, Brock said, “I’ll be there. Do you think I’m going to miss it now? Rickey did in 12 years what took me 19. He’s amazing.”
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