Not Going There

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 5:41  NASB

Rejoicing– When the disciples were beaten and instructed no longer to proclaim Yeshua as Messiah, they reacted in a way that is not easily understood.  They rejoiced.  This seems particularly strange given that they were undoubtedly bruised, bloody, and shaken.  I can hardly imagine rejoicing for being tortured.  But they did—and we will have to look hard at this example if we are going to understand the biblical idea of joy.

Rejoicing over persecution is not a comforting idea, especially to a Western Greek-based culture.  Our misconception begins with a mistaken view of Heaven.  We are more than inclined to think of Heaven in terms of Greek rather than Hebrew ideas.  We imagine Heaven to be a place where physical needs and desires no longer affect us, where the experience of God’s presence satisfies every element of human living and where contemplation of the Divine is the preoccupation of every being.  For us, “Holy, holy, holy” becomes an endless chant obliterating personal identity through unfettered worship.  We probably believe that the disciples could rejoice after they got to Heaven, but we can’t really believe they could be thrilled here on earth.  Our view of Heaven is blissful escape.

But the Hebrew view contains considerable suggestions that no such Heaven exists. Biblical texts stress the fact that identity is not dissolved when we enjoy heavenly citizenship, that work is to be expected, that memories of past struggles are not forgotten even if they no longer produce tears, that both physical and mental desires are present, and that community and Kingdom are overarching factors.  The Hebraic idea of joy is not a departure from emotions and desires but rather purification of emotion and desire in the ‘olam ha’ba.  Unfortunately, Western believers are often victims of Greek philosophical visions of the afterlife rather than Semitic ones.  While we retain the concept of personal identity in Heaven, we are likely, when pressed, to imagine Heaven much more along the lines of Greek detachment from everything human instead of Hebrew saturation of everything human.  For this reason, most Western believers think of “going to Heaven” as escape from the human world while the Bible actually presents us with the idea that Heaven is coming to this human world. Perhaps we need to alter one of Yeshua’s sayings.  Instead of “The Sabbath was made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath” we might read, “Heaven was made for Man, not Man for Heaven.”

This leaves us with a particularly difficult conundrum.  How come the disciples, thoroughly grounded in this world, experienced joy when tortured?  The answer isn’t found in self-flagellating sacrifice.  It is found in a profound identification with their Messiah.  They reasoned something like this:  “Isn’t it wonderful that we were counted worthy enough to experience some of the same persecution he endured?  I never thought I would be asked to make such a stand. What a privilege!”

I wonder if that kind of thought ever crosses our minds when we hear James say, “Count it all joy (in other words, rejoice) when you have to endure trials and temptations.  God thinks you can handle it.  Amazing!”

Topical Index:  rejoicing, joy, suffering, trials, heaven, Acts 5:41