Love Does Not Rejoice at Wrongdoing, but Rejoices with the Truth

Mar 1

Acquired Tastes

Brussels sprouts — the most diminutive cabbage in the brassica patch — have a terrible reputation. They don’t deserve their negative street cred. These little marbles of chlorophyllic joy can carry flavor and deep caramelization, but they’re an acquired taste.

With time, experimentation, repeated exposure, a determination for healthier eating, and a touch of bravery, those who used to loathe the little-cabbage-who-could can grow to love the nooks and crannies of subtle bitterness and crunch.

Many things make a man’s heart glad (Proverbs 12:25, 15:13, 15:30, 27:9), and in time, a good Brussels sprout can too. In Paul’s final pairing of love’s excellencies, he tells us what a loving heart rejoices to see — we would do well to labor to acquire the taste.

“[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6, ESV)

Rejoicing

This rejoicing is one of Paul’s favorite words, and this righteous-gladness that comes from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is resilient in adversity (2 Corinthians 7:4-5). In this text, however, Paul makes it clear he knows that rejoicing is a normal human emotion and can therefore be marked by sin. In other words, it’s possible to have joy that doesn’t please the Lord.

What Gladdens Your Heart?

We have a hard time imagining normal people rejoicing at wrongdoing. Only a cartoon villain (or the extremely wicked) would be happy about evil! In that way, we brush this off so quickly. But Paul didn’t write this letter to Cruella Deville or an SS officer; he wrote it to Christians. If there’s something here for us to learn, we must face the reality that sometimes we do, in fact, smile at unrighteousness. When that happens, we have acquired the wrong tastes. Think of the Corinthians,

Do we rejoice at a brother or sister’s failing? Imagine a Christian or a Christian ministry you’ve had disagreements with. In the secret of your own thoughts, would your heart warm at the chance to gloat if they were found guilty of mishandling money?
What if a fellow believer has expressed concern to you over a matter of conscience, like alcohol or secular music? Would you feel a joyful swelling of heart to indulge in that freedom, whispering boasts in your heart that you’re better than other weaker Christians (maybe you’d say they’re stuffy, cringey, old-fashioned)?

Now think of the 21st century,

Do movies or stories of wickedness excite you? The more sinful, the more fun? There’s a place for facing the evil of the world narratively (Judges 17-19), but it should repulse us, not entertain us.
Where is your sense of humor? What is it about a crude joke that wrests a grin from the corner of your mouth? It could be just the wittiness of the pun… but, is that all? See then if there is any grievous way in your laughter (Psalm 139:24).

Few of us can boast of a heart free from such disordered joys.

The Truth

Train your heart then, to rejoice with the truth instead. It’s easy to make food taste good, whose heart doesn’t rejoice at a freshly glazed donut or a well-salted french fry? Natural, sinful, loveless man rejoices at evil’s junk-food-joys.

But, by the same token, few people love Brussels sprouts at first bite. With consistent training and meditation on the reward of healthier eating, we can acquire that taste. Wouldn’t it be nice to be truly happy when a brother or sister displays God’s grace in their lives? Imagine a life where you can sit down and consume a big bowl of Scripture with a smile!

Take a thank-you bite of God’s truth — He loves it when his children do well, and it doesn’t cost you anything to smile with Him at the sight of a sensitive conscience or a bold preacher. Well, except maybe to forget about yourself for a moment.

Genuine love really is like that, isn’t it?