Eld Chew Chong Kiat

One of the ways we can show charity in the family of God is to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” The phrase “with them” is repeated twice in this verse. This phrase suggests that we are to accompany or come behind someone who is rejoicing and weeping by doing the same. Paul was referring to the body of Christ and everyone being a member of that body. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Rom 12:4-5) In 1 Corinthians 12:26, Paul also taught, “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” When a brother is rejoicing and weeping, as members of the same body of Christ we should draw near to rejoice or weep with them. This is our testimony to the world. As members of the body, we need one another and play an important role to each other. It is a sin to neglect such responsibilities.

We are also commanded in Philippians 2:4, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We are not to say, “Let me mind my own business or this is his business, let me not get involved”. The teaching from God’s Word is clear: We do not stand alone; we are not a man on an island but a community that God ordained that we should serve one another.

Both verbs “rejoice” and “weep” are in the present tense. That means that we are to do so continually and not stop. Both verbs are also in the active voice, meaning that each of us is to take the initiative to come behind a brother to rejoice or weep with him; we are not to be passive and to wait for others to do it first.  

To rejoice with them means to take part in their joy, to congratulate, to be glad and be full of cheer with them. It is God’s will that happiness be diffused and multiplied in the body of Christ. Partake of that joy! Don’t be envious of the happiness of another, but sincerely be glad and happy with them. If you feel envious, it is a sign of discontent with your present state. Repent, and be content, for whatever state you are in is by the good and gracious provision of God our Shepherd.

When we hear of a brother rejoicing, we are encouraged and reminded that the Lord is good, thus can we not heartily identify with his joy and acknowledge that the Lord is good?

In Luke 15, we read of the shepherd who found a lost sheep, “And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” (v5-6) Note that he did not want to rejoice alone. He spread the joy with others dear to him by calling and gathering his friends and neighbours and explaining the cause of his rejoicing that they may rejoice with him. This is love. A brother may just need this assurance of the goodness of God, like the refreshing dew to help him to rejoice again. The woman who lost a coin and the father of the prodigal son did the same (v9, 23-24). What is more wonderful was that this joy reverberated beyond earth to heaven (v7,10).

There are also many occasions in life when one weeps because of pain or grief and mourning.  There is a time and season for rejoicing and weeping. As Christians we are commanded to rejoice always (Phi 4:4) and to count it all joy when we are under trials and testing (Ja 1:2). That does not mean that there are no grounds for weeping. In seasons of grief, we can come alongside those who are grieving and share that burden with them.

Paul explains in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 that when a loved one who is in Christ dies, he or she will one day be resurrected and we will be together with the Lord. Because of that truth, we don’t need to grieve as those who have no hope (v13).  When a brother grieves, we shouldn’t tell him to “get over it” or even remind him that he should always rejoice (1 The 5:16). On the contrary, we are to show brotherly love by weeping with him.

Jesus went to the funeral of Lazarus in John 11 at great personal risk (v8). And when He saw the sorrow of the crowd and the siblings weeping, he wept (v33-35). Jesus went with the intention of raising Lazarus from the dead and it would seem there was no reason for Him to grieve, but He did and those who saw it said “Behold how he loved him!” (v36). We may learn of Jesus to make time to be with those who grieve because we love and care for those in the body of Christ.

Job’s three friends are both good examples and bad. When they heard how their friend was grieving, each came from his own place to grieve with Job for seven days and nights (v11). When they saw him afar off, they could not recognise him, but they mourned and wept with him. When they saw that his grief was very great, they sat down with him seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him. (v12-13)  They did good.

But not for long. They became a great pain to him insisting that he must have sinned and all that happened was chastisement by God for his sin. The more Job defended himself, the stronger their accusations and insistence that he had sinned.  Job was so vexed that he sinned against God and complained about God. He fell from his initial steadfastness of holding his integrity and of acknowledging that God had given him all things and it is God’s right to take back everything. We may learn from Job’s friends how to mourn with them that mourn and how not to.

It is our privilege to rejoice and weep with one another in the household of God. By doing so, we fulfil the law of God, and we will shine in this world as disciples of Christ, because we love another.