Did Jesus Ever Laugh?

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It wouldn’t surprise me if more than a few people felt that this was an unnecessary topic but I think this is actually EXTREMELY important.

It starts by recognizing that God took great pains for the incarnation to happen – literally, he exposed himself to excruciating suffering on a cross and death so that the otherwise invisible God could be made visible to us.

This is the pattern throughout our faith; that the invisible is made visible to us who are sensory, physical creatures. That’s why we have sacraments – to make the medicinal saving work of God and his grace tangible to us through signs and sensory experiences.

So given what God was willing to do to make himself more accessible to us, don’t you think it’s important for us to contemplate the incarnation – and what it means that God became human? That’s what this reflection is about, because there are a lot of traps set for us as we do so.

For example, it can become very easy for us to think about Jesus in ways that we prefer, rather than what makes the most sense or what is revealed in scripture. But it’s interesting to me that in researching this topic and reading what other contemporary writers have to say on the topic, every attempt to answer it that I came across, settled on the conclusion that, “Ya, of course he would have laughed.”

And if I’m being honest, that’s a more pleasing answer to the question for me. That makes me feel good, it makes me feel like Jesus is more like me – because, I like to laugh and have a good time. And in concluding that Jesus was the same, I can feel a lot better about myself.

But I think it’s REALLY important that we be wary of our willingness to treat Jesus more as a fulfillment of our desires and less like someone who actually exists and who we need to encounter to be changed ourselves.
So can we be as honest as possible as we do the hard work of contemplating who Jesus actually was and is and what that means for us who need his help and grace to become more like him – which is a sharp admission that there are going to be some serious distinctions between himself and us.

Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com

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