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Have you ever pictured Jesus laughing? Now, I know that you have
pictured him in your mind's eye preaching, praying, rebuking sinners --
even suffering and dying, but what about him laughing?
If you are like most folks, probably you haven't. Some folks are
downright against humor in religion. I have a preacher friend named
John. He was preaching in a church in Texas a few years ago. On one
occasion, an older lady stopped him and told him, "If you tell one more
joke or humorous story from the pulpit, I'm going to get up and leave,
religion is serious business." John said, true to her word, she did
just that in the middle of one of his lessons. Obviously, she had never
thought about a Jesus who laughed.
I look for clean religious humor whenever I can. I enjoy laughing and
it helps keep my spirits up in a sometimes very troubled world. Just
last week I ran across a group called "The fellowship of Merry
Christians" that produces books, cards, and pictures, as well as a
monthly newsletter of religious humor and cartoons. One of the things I
found on their website is a picture of a laughing Jesus, titled, "Risen
Christ by the Sea." There before my eyes was a picture of Jesus
laughing, and it hit me, I don't think I ever pictured him that way
before.
Yes, I've heard people speak about the cultural humor in some of his
parables, but I had just never imagined him laughing out loud because
something struck him as being funny. Yet, isn't that one of the most
basic things that makes up our humanity?
I've mentioned before that I like a good science fiction movie and I
noticed something interesting through the years. In a couple of the
movies, the writers decided that a machine or computer could be
considered to be a living self-aware being if it could understand and
laugh at something humorous to humans. Granted, that is taking
liberties just because they are the script writers, but it points out
that it is considered important to many people. In fact, our sense of
humor is part of what defines who we are. It's hard to be likable, warm
or accepting if you can't laugh at the world around you as well as
yourself.
I believe that Jesus knew how to laugh and did so! I also believe that
he fully expects us to do so also. Notice a couple of Old Testament
scriptures with me that emphasize this point.
* This one, about God, is often repeated as he looks at the
rebellious hearts of the nations trying to oppose him with their
meager power! "But the one who rules in heaven laughs" (Psalm 2:4
NLT).
(Prayerwarrior).
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