Did Jesus Laugh, Joke, etc

[Elena321]

Hi!

…there are lots of things that are not included in Scriptures…

No one knows how athletic Jesus was… or how good of a carpenter or how much gold the Magi brought Him and what happened to it or if Jesus had a preferred food…

What Scriptures do tell us are things that are particular to Jesus’ Ministry as it pertains to God’s Salvific Plan…

There are several intimations that St. John the Evangelist was the Disciple loved by Jesus… this places John on top of the world (the Master’s favorite); still, we only have the revelation that Jesus hanged around St. Peter and even paid his taxes–at least one time…

The importance, at least to me, of these passages is to demonstrate that while John was Jesus’ favorite (human comradery) Cephas was the Church–yeah, even though he was taken over by fear and denied the Master at the moment of Jesus’ travail.

Maran atha!

Angel

Nicely put:thumbsup:

 

[Qoeleth]

Being fully human (and divine) I have to believe he did. I wonder why there is not one instance of it in Scripture. Could it not have been used in a positive way?

In Medieval times, the standard answer would have been “No”. In fact, an image of a ‘Laughing Christ’ was regarded as a Satanic or blasphemous.

I’m sure He recognised and used wit (as the Gospel shows), and mild, harmless amusement and social pleasantry. But, I don’t think He indulged in ‘big laughs’, though, since His entire existence was shadowed by anticipation of the Passion, and coloured by a full awareness of the suffering of mankind. The same thing is found in the Rule of Benedict, where ‘laughter’ is forbidden, but this is not interpreted as forbidding wit, or light heartedness.

Remember, Christ was fully human, but also fully Divine. A non-divine human can easily laugh at the foibles of others, but a fully Divine human knows that such are always accompanied by pain, by tragedy. Yes, indeed, behind every ‘clown’ you meet, there is a human tragedy…Most things that people laugh at are either cruel or tragic…

Personally, I find images of Christ laughing to be somehow ‘wrong’…

 

[jcrichton]

Can you imagine how much the furniture and other things Jesus made by woodworking, increased in value after his death on the cross?!!!

I think its likely once it became known he was who he claimed to be, all the tables, chairs, etc he had ever made suddenly became very popular and sought after, probably lots of forgeries sold under the ‘made by Jesus’ label too.

Hi, Mike!



Thanks for that! I’ve not laughed so hard in a long time!

…yet, the beauty of God’s Wisdom is that people did not gain such superficial evaluation of things (antiques, collectibles and name brands) till late… imagine the confusion that such items would bring… people murdering and being murdered because “Jesus” made “xyz?”

…it would lend itself to wars and more excuses for those who reject Christ to use His art as fuel for their war on God.

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[jcrichton]

I’d say of course he did.

I may be mistaken, but a friend of mine was telling me about a book he read about the personal life of Jesus and the many opinions scholars have had.

Some say that Jesus named James and John the “Sons of Thunder” because their mother was so loud

Hi, R!

…actually, Jesus references their father… and, given the context, I think that it has to do with the quickness to judge/punish or seal the deal.

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[jcrichton]

I remember someone once saying that he figures Jesus and the Apostles had to have had some good times. Would they have followed Him if He was a boring drag?

Gives a bit of thought to the phrase “God must have a sense of humor.”

Hi!

…well… we know He can push buttons… remember his response to those that claimed to seek his advise in taken care of the woman caught in the act of adultery?

…Jesus fully ignored them and began to scribble on the soil… then there’s the time that He messed with the Disciples as He walked on water… (I know, I know, I’m stretching!)

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[jcrichton]

The Scriptures describe the Messiah as a “man of sorrows”.

Hi!

…this is in reference to Isaiah’s Suffering Servant… yet, this function (the Lamb of God) does not preclude Him from enjoying a meal with friends, cracking a joke or two when resting from the day’s Mission/s… and even enjoying a visit with His mom!

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[jcrichton]

In Medieval times, the standard answer would have been “No”. In fact, an image of a ‘Laughing Christ’ was regarded as a Satanic or blasphemous.

I’m sure He recognised and used wit (as the Gospel shows), and mild, harmless amusement and social pleasantry. But, I don’t think He indulged in ‘big laughs’, though, since His entire existence was shadowed by anticipation of the Passion, and coloured by a full awareness of the suffering of mankind. The same thing is found in the Rule of Benedict, where ‘laughter’ is forbidden, but this is not interpreted as forbidding wit, or light heartedness.

Remember, Christ was fully human, but also fully Divine. A non-divine human can easily laugh at the foibles of others, but a fully Divine human knows that such are always accompanied by pain, by tragedy. Yes, indeed, behind every ‘clown’ you meet, there is a human tragedy…Most things that people laugh at are either cruel or tragic…

Personally, I find images of Christ laughing to be somehow ‘wrong’…

Hi!

…I think that we must keep in mind that in the secular as in the religious world things change…

…there was a time when the very religious would flock themselves with various items that would cut into their skin and make them bleed… it was a sign of their commitment to live a righteous and virtuous religious life… there were places in the world where people would reenact the Passion of Christ to the point of volunteering to be nailed to a cross… the Saints and Doctors of the Church placed as much emphasis as they could to their religious lives… including expressing their personal take on Christ and others in Scriptures…

…while it is your personal choice to conceive the image of Christ as that of one who would not laugh, we must agree that laughing at other’s expense has been part of the cultures of the world throughout time… but Christians (and I suspect religious Jews) would have to adhere to Scriptures in all of their life’s experiences–this would necessitate that we would not rejoice at others’ tragedy no matter how benign their suffering might be and no matter how much amusement others may gain from it.

…can you imagine how vociferous Zacchaeus’ gathering would have been? …this man was fully lost to the god of money; Jesus Called him and he made a full 180 turn–promising not only to stop his unrighteous practices but to return the ill gains to those he wronged! That evening could not have passed into history in solemnity.

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[LilyM]

We remember how much He loved children and said we should be like them. It’s a very rare child that has no sense of humour, and it’s hard to believe He had none either.

I like to think there was something of a private joke in the fact that he chose to name the poor miserable beggar in one of his parables Lazarus - the same name as his real-life friend, brother of Martha and Mary, a family that appears to have been very wealthy.

 

[Qoeleth]

Well, it’s a kind of feature of our culture to like ‘laugh out loud’ types. But not so in the Middle Ages, where it was regarded as a sign of idiocy or crudity- and the sound itself regarded as hideous.

Even in ancient times (1st Century AD), philosophers and wise people were esteemed for ‘gravity of demeanour.’

I think Jesus had dignified humour, smiled, laughed gently and quietly. But I don’t think he was a ‘laugh out loud’, ‘jovial’ type, or a ‘jokester’. That image seems simply horrible to me and blasphemous too, and I could never worship someone like that.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Joy is mentioned several times in the Gospels.
Laughter is mentioned a few times in the Bible too.

 

[LilyM]

Well, it’s a kind of feature of our culture to like ‘laugh out loud’ types. But not so in the Middle Ages, where it was regarded as a sign of idiocy or crudity- and the sound itself regarded as hideous.

Even in ancient times (1st Century AD), philosophers and wise people were esteemed for ‘gravity of demeanour.’

I think Jesus had dignified humour, smiled, laughed gently and quietly. But I don’t think he was a ‘laugh out loud’, ‘jovial’ type, or a ‘jokester’. That image seems simply horrible to me and blasphemous too, and I could never worship someone like that.

We’re talking about someone who, after the guests at the Cana wedding had drunk the place dry, didn’t just make wine, but 120 GALLONS of the stuff! I think there would have been a great deal of ‘laugh out loud’, ‘jovial’ and ‘jokester’-y type behaviour going on under the influence of His miracle brew.

 

[James248]

The Scriptures describe the Messiah as a “man of sorrows”.

That was at His Passion.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

It’s in the bible. He rebuked the disciples for scaring the children away

In what possible way does that passage mean Jesus DIDN’T EVER laugh with the disciples?

 

[Catherinabird]

Most things that people laugh at are either cruel or tragic.

I can’t believe this to be true.

 

[jcrichton]

Well, it’s a kind of feature of our culture to like ‘laugh out loud’ types. But not so in the Middle Ages, where it was regarded as a sign of idiocy or crudity- and the sound itself regarded as hideous.

Even in ancient times (1st Century AD), philosophers and wise people were esteemed for ‘gravity of demeanour.’

I think Jesus had dignified humour, smiled, laughed gently and quietly. But I don’t think he was a ‘laugh out loud’, ‘jovial’ type, or a ‘jokester’. That image seems simply horrible to me and blasphemous too, and I could never worship someone like that.

Hi!

…I’m very uncultured… I laugh… I been known to do the rolling thing–I think that the internet icon came about some witnessing my very experiences in public environments…

I respect your vision of aesthetics… there were once some called stoics… these were very stern people that lived a very solemn philosophy… (I think that the sci-fi Vulcans were created under such premise)… reason does not stop at severity… did you also know that in the past it was believed that women should not dance, use make up, wigs… oh, yeah, and or speak or think?

Cultural practices do change… I wonder if there are any Jewish converts that could throw in some practical cultural references…

…but if Jesus’ contemporaries did not laugh, why does Jesus makes reference to song and dance–shouldn’t these practices also be perceived as blasphemous or simply “not cool?”

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[Qoeleth]

Hi!

…I’m very uncultured… I laugh… I been known to do the rolling thing–I think that the internet icon came about some witnessing my very experiences in public environments…

I respect your vision of aesthetics… there were once some called stoics… these were very stern people that lived a very solemn philosophy… (I think that the sci-fi Vulcans were created under such premise)… reason does not stop at severity… did you also know that in the past it was believed that women should not dance, use make up, wigs… oh, yeah, and or speak or think?

Cultural practices do change… I wonder if there are any Jewish converts that could throw in some practical cultural references…

…but if Jesus’ contemporaries did not laugh, why does Jesus makes reference to song and dance–shouldn’t these practices also be perceived as blasphemous or simply “not cool?”

Maran atha!

Angel

Remember, Christ was ‘meek and gentle of heart’. Sure, he could smile and chuckle, but in a restrained, dignified gentle way.

I am totally sure he not a prankster, drunkard, or some ribald roisterer, or ‘a good ole boy’, or wisacre, or jackanapes, or whatever. He was not a North American- but a Palestinian- and such people are normally dignified and restrained in the bearing.

Also, He was the Son of God, so would always have behaved in a manner befitting that.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

I think you should go and read the gospels because you would find out that Jesus had a very good sense of humour, still does because he’s God especially when he talked to the Pharisees.

Yes. He used parables and exaggerations that could be proclaimed and interpreted as humorous. Imagine him smiling and laughing when talking about the widow and the lost coin, for example.

 

[James248]

Remember, Christ was ‘meek and gentle of heart’. Sure, he could smile and chuckle, but in a restrained, dignified gentle way.

I am totally sure he not a prankster, drunkard, or some ribald roisterer, or ‘a good ole boy’, or wisacre, or jackanapes, or whatever. He was not a North American- but a Palestinian- and such people are normally dignified and restrained in the bearing.

Also, He was the Son of God, so would always have behaved in a manner befitting that.

Even God has a sense of humor. He did create the platypus.

 

[LilyM]

Remember, Christ was ‘meek and gentle of heart’. Sure, he could smile and chuckle, but in a restrained, dignified gentle way.

I am totally sure he not a prankster, drunkard, or some ribald roisterer, or ‘a good ole boy’, or wisacre, or jackanapes, or whatever. He was not a North American- but a Palestinian- and such people are normally dignified and restrained in the bearing.

Also, He was the Son of God, so would always have behaved in a manner befitting that.

One thing we all can be sure of is that He didn’t fit ANYONE’S stereotype of how the Son of God should be and behave - including, no doubt, stereotypes such as yours. So much so that the people of Nazareth, among whom He had grown up, saw Him simply as one of their own - “is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” - and were shocked at any idea that He was anything more.

And He enjoyed His food and drink to what some considered an excessive extent, and they accordingly called Him a drunkard and glutton.

I do think we need to be careful not to remake Him into a somewhat false puritanical image in order to fit our preconceptions - for example that a love of laughter and jokes is not compatible with dignity.

 

[James248]

One thing we all can be sure of is that He didn’t fit ANYONE’S stereotype of how the Son of God should be and behave - including, no doubt, stereotypes such as yours. So much so that the people of Nazareth, among whom He had grown up, saw Him simply as one of their own - “is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” - and were shocked at any idea that He was anything more.

And He enjoyed His food and drink to what some considered an excessive extent, and they accordingly called Him a drunkard and glutton.

I do think we need to be careful not to remake Him into a somewhat false puritanical image in order to fit our preconceptions - for example that a love of laughter and jokes is not compatible with dignity.

He was not a Sadducee. Get it? Sad-ducee?