Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. There are some who only rejoice over their own happiness, only weep at their own miseries. They are ruminating animals — always chewing the cud of their own private joy or grief. If they are in good health, if they are getting on in business, if the world smiles upon them, they are happy. If they are unwell, or poor, or in bad reputation, they are miserable, a thoroughly selfish man would grieve more over an attack of dyspepsia, or the loss of a five-pound note, than over the destruction of a nation, or the ruin of a world. Note — I. THE CHRISTIAN'S JOY. 1. He rejoices in all the happy lower creatures. "God looked upon all that He had made, and behold it was very good." In this the Christian man is a follower of God as a dear child. "He prayeth well, who loveth well, both man and bird and beast," etc. 2. He rejoices in all the pure human joys of his fellow-men, like Him who attended the wedding-feast of Cana of Galilee. 3. He rejoices in the progress of the kingdom of God. Every conversion, every time of hallowed fellowship, every act of kindness, all tidings of good being done in any part of the world, fill his heart with joy. II. THE CHRISTIAN'S GRIEF. He grieves — 1. Over the special sins and sorrows with which he is brought into contact. 2. Over the sin and sorrow of the world, when he "enters into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings." The more shallow any nature is, the less capacities it has for joy and grief; the finer and deeper a nature, the more sensitive it is to both. A racehorse is more sensitive both to pleasure and pain than a dray-horse. The Christian has both a deeper joy and a deeper grief than others, because he lives a deeper and a wider life, because his heart trembles into sympathy with human gladness and sorrow all over the world. (R. Abercrombie, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.WEB: Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. |
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