This morning, I read an old sermon by Charles Spurgeon. It’s one of the best sermons I’ve ever read on the “oil of joy” and how to experience it. You can read it here. The official title is “The Oil of Gladness” delivered on January 16 1876.
What most strikes my heart is how the oil of gladness comes in and from the work set apart for us to do. It come through work. How curious! Spurgeon says, “Let us see. The gladness of our Lord Jesus may be viewed first as the gladness which He had in His work. The Son of God delighted in the work which His Father had given Him to do.” When we go about Jesus’s work of seeking and saving the lost—being “sent” and living as fishers of people—our joy overflows. I can only imagine Spurgeon’s enthusiasm as he says, “Now, brethren, you also can be partakers in this joy! When He makes you, in your little measure, to be instrumentally, saviors of others, then you, also, partake of His gladness!”
I love thinking about the work of the day and how God positions us to bless others. This, perhaps, helps release the “oil of joy” according to Spurgeon. If you read on in the sermon, you’ll find wonderful words of what the “oil” does in your life, including healing, beautifying, and softening us for a life of a true gladness. The sermon made me think about all the ways we seek gladness and joy in our life. Here, the path to joy involves living a sacrificial, crucified life and doing the joyful work of Christ, especially as it relates to leading others to Him.