Story
Two disciples leave Jerusalem with their hope in pieces. A stranger joins them, hears the whole collapse, and opens the Scriptures.…
Hope · Presence · Suffering
Luke 24
History
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Joy in Prison
December 22 – Joy for All (Luke 1)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor and theologian in Germany during World War 2. He was imprisoned in 1943 because of his extreme opposition to Hitler and was eventually executed in 1945, just months before the end of the war. Like the Apostle Paul, Bonhoeffer spent time writing letters while imprisoned. Compiled together they are called *Letters and Papers from Prison*. In these letters he talks about the joy he finds in Christ Jesus. In one letter he writes: “We are so overwhelmed by the richness of God’s gifts that we can only stammer in joy. To be sure, there are times when, by God’s will, there is… little cause for ‘human joy’, when the suffering and pain in our lives seem to overshadow everything else. But even here God always gives us new assurances of his closeness and grace. And from them, joy can break through again.” He also wrote: “The more we learn to see the great things God does in our lives, the more we shall be filled with joy.” The joy of the Lord was Bonhoeffer’s strength. It gave him what he needed to persevere through persecution and imprisonment in Nazi Germany.
How you’d preach it
Strong historical example of supernatural joy that is not dependent on circumstances. Pairs well with Nehemiah 8:10 and James 1:2-3.
- Joy
- Suffering
- Perseverance
Bonhoeffer · Luke 1
Luke 1