Feb 19

Written by: tim
2/19/2010 10:55 AM 

The group of us wasn't really sure what to do for that split-second moment in time.  We knew we had been passionately reprimanded, perhaps not directly but it was certain guilt by association.  The middle-aged woman had spoken her mind, "I just wish my pastor would stop telling jokes and be more serious!"  Of course, "my pastor", wasn't there to defend himself but immediately all of us recalled moments of preaching humor.  One of us gently spoke what many of us were thinking, "I use humor often and it can really help in bringing home truth."  She received that but clearly wasn't satisfied.

That little encounter happened several years ago but some of the feeling stays with me.  Why are we so serious when taking about spiritual things?  First and foremost it should go without saying that we should be serious in dealing with Scripture.  The Bible is God's word given to us so that we understand God's love, grace, mercy, judgment and so that we might live rightly before Him.  Sounds like something we should handle with reverence right?  Reading through the pages of my Bible doesn't typically provoke me to fits of uncontrolled laughter (actually I don't think it has ever done that) and yet I am completely convinced that Jesus and other people in the Bible experienced joy in the form of side-splitting happiness.

Jesus went to parties and turned water into wine.  The second fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians is joy.  The people that Jesus spent time with were often unrefined and ordinary and I don't think I'm beyond reasonable speculation in suggesting that they engaged in good natured fun.  Did Jesus promote or participate in crude or raunchy jokes?  Nope, and I'm not speculating there either.

So let me ask you, when is the last time that you sat around your table and enjoyed a good laugh after or even (gasp) during dinner?  Jesus has called us to live a life filled with obedience and joy which we ought to take seriously.  Part of loving and encouraging one another is laughing together.