1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 14:6-7
Jesus is the Truth, and the Way of Life
6 Jesus answered, “I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Matthew 22:36-40
The Two Greatest Commandments
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Galatians 5:22-25
Fruit of the Spirit
Was Jesus happy?...I wonder after a long day of teaching if Jesus ever sat around in the evening and laughed with His Disciples over a glass of wine?...I wonder if the Disciples would have ever told jokes or joked around?...When one reads the Sermon on the Mount, we see how Jesus views life on earth...
Happiness is defined by many as having pleasure, being contented, being satisfied, being cheerful, and having joy...But I think that happiness is a personal thing...Happiness is different things for different people...Happiness might be defined by someone who is chronically sick as never being ill...Others might define happiness as always having a positive outlook, or always retaining positive thoughts, and when the bad days come -bouncing back from them very quickly...Happiness might be defined by others as doing what they want to do...Would you in your definition of your personal happiness include happiness as having a good or great sense of humor?...Do you believe that Jesus had a great sense of humor?...
I once read that a goal in each of our lives is the pursuit of happiness, day in and day out...God created us to reason and think...Some smart men think and have thought that God our Creator has given us the right to purse happiness in life...Even in the Declaration of Independence happiness and this pursuit of happiness is mentioned...The founding fathers wrote: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...
If the founding fathers were right and this pursuit of happiness is something in us and was put there by our Creator, then happiness is something God wants us to have...
Since each of us are happy by different things, each might define happiness a little bit different than each of our founding fathers...To give more ideas on defining happiness, some might think happiness, as always being able to live in the present moment...We cannot live in the past, and we cannot live in the future...So the present moment is really all we have...Others might think about this a little different and think about happiness in another way...To be happy, some must know what is going on around them, and thus to be happy they must know what goes on around their circle of friends and family, their community, and the world...And let's face it there are many problems around the world...Being aware of problems and the things around us, just might keep us in touch with life and reality...Some materialists, and another different thought might define their being happy, as accumulating wealth and material things...Let us face it, money can buy, whatever money can buy...Now whether these things being bought are happiness is quite another thing and needs to be reflected on...
Happiness is defined a little different in each culture...It is possible that happiness is different today than it was five hundred years ago, or a thousand years ago, and in Jesus' time two thousand years ago...Jesus was a Jew, who lived exclusively in Israel on or around six b. c. ...When Jesus gave us His Sermon on the Mount, I have read that blessed meant or was a part of happiness...So if being blessed is being happy Jesus teaches us that being happy is being poor in spirit, happy is being mournful, happy is being meek, and happiness is searching for righteousness, and even being persecuted because of being and doing righteous things...Happiness is showing mercy toward others...Happiness is being pure in heart...Happiness are those who work and try to be peaceful toward others...And happiness is even being insulted by others, because of Him...Happiness' has a great reward and it is not in the here and now, but is later, awaiting for us in heaven...The treasures of life are not in money and material things, but are in the things like love, faith, gentleness, self-control, mercy, forgiveness, truth, and grace...There is happiness in helping and loving others...Jesus says the Two Greatest Commandments are loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself...And Jesus lived this...He was always talking and teaching of His Father...And He was always helping others in His healings and in His teachings to us...
I never have described Jesus as having a great sense of humor...I am not even sure He told any jokes in His life...But I am very sure Jesus was and is contented...And He was and is happy...Happiness is believing in something, and then living it out...Jesus did this...He knows what joy is...He looks at these things different, because He is different...And maybe we should look at happiness differently...Maybe being meek and when we mourn and suffer, we look at our lives a little differently...
Jesus knows all about happiness, because He created it...All things are created and made through Him...He gives us the Holy Spirit, and from the Holy Spirit we get its fruit, these things like love, truth, faith, and hope...He is the Truth of Life, and a Way of Life...And following Him is the path to happiness...Learning His teachings is the Way to happiness...These things lead to heaven and to true happiness in life...