<p>13:20&nbsp;<em>And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that hears the word and immediately with joy receives it</em>- So long as he 'believes for a while' (Lk.). Belief and joy are therefore paralleled. The later references to our joy&nbsp;<em>remaining</em>&nbsp;unto the end of our spiritual path surely allude here (Jn. 15:11; 16:22; Acts 20:24; Heb. 3:6). Note how in Jn. 16:22 the joy of the disciples could be taken from them by those who took Christ from them; another hint that the persecution which choked the joy came from the Jews, who were those who took Christ from them. Joy and faith are linked many times in the New Testament; we must ask whether we really have the joy which is the proof of real faith.</p>