February 12. Love Rejoices in Truth.

February 12. Love Rejoices in Truth.

… it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  (1 Cor. 13:6)

The Greek word for wrongdoing, adikia, is commonly translated as unrighteousness. It is any act that ‘violates standards of right conduct.’ It is ‘the quality of injustice, unrighteousness, wickedness.’  I’m pretty sure that we all understand what this word means.  We know what sin is, though sometimes we want to ignore that knowledge.

Truth is translated from alethia, which comes from a word meaning to ‘hide nothing.’  Alethia is simply that … truth.  Uprightness in thought and deed.  It is used in Biblical literature to show that Christianity is the ultimate truth.  It is also used to describe reality.

The word ‘rejoice’ is translated from the Greek – chairo, which means to rejoice or even to welcome.  It is a state of happiness and well-being.  In secular Greek literature it is also used as a greeting when meeting someone.  Wouldn’t you like to be greeted with Rejoice! As opposed to Hello.  What a great way to signify your joy in seeing a friend.

There’s another word that I enjoy using – schadenfreude.  It actually means taking pleasure in another person’s misery.  I hate to admit it, but this occurs in my life on a regular basis, unless of course that person is really hurting.

One day my husband called me from home.  He had been working out on a recumbent bike that we owned.  All of a sudden, the back of the bike snapped from the pressure.  He bounced his head into a dresser that was behind him and then a clay flowerpot fell on his head and broke.  He wanted some sympathy. I couldn’t help myself.  All I could see was a scene from the Three Stooges and started laughing out loud.  I knew he wasn’t hurt badly – I’d asked that question first, but his misery just made me howl with laughter.  I find myself to be rotten that way.

Paul’s words probably aren’t going to call me to repentance for something like that, though I’m sure my husband would have liked for me to feel a little more sorry for him.  Paul’s words will call us to repentance for a great many things that our society has termed to be ok.  Cheating on our taxes?  Sure.  Not returning the overage we received when getting cash back? That’s fine – someone else’s mistake. I even knew a person who was thrilled because the guy loading her groceries accidentally added someone else’s to her vehicle.

What is truth?  Love is truth.  That never changes or wavers. When we do everything in love … we can rejoice because we know we are doing so in truth as well.