Listen to Sermon
“You will laugh,” Luke 6:21b
Pastor Tom Johnson, November 3, 2019
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” Jesus promises laughter to be part of God’s reign in our lives. Godly laughter is a guaranteed consequence to the good news of Christ’s Kingdom crashing into our world. Laughter is an involuntary response of the body. Giggling and roaring laughter are wordless but audible celebration. We cannot really decide that we are going to laugh. Something must tickle our funny bone. It can be the relief of stress right after a close call with lethal danger. Laughter can come when we clearly see how foolish we humans can be—when we release the stress of confronting truth that makes us feel uncomfortable. It can result from the discovery of irony—two things that you would not expect to come together—a juxtaposition of incongruities.
But in this same sermon Jesus says there is a laughter that should be turned into mourning and weeping—laughter that needs to stop. This is laughter that comes as the expense of others—mocks others—celebrates another’s demise or destruction. Jesus wants us to cultivate a godly sense of humor.
You’ll remember Abraham and Sarah laughing at God’s promise that they will have a child in their old age. This is the laughter of unbelief—laughter that mocks God. God’s good news sometimes seems like foolishness to us. When their son is born, their home is filled with laughter and joy over their son whom God names Isaac which means “laughter.” This is to remind them that God gets the last laugh as it is his joy to fulfill his promises.
You will remember when Jesus tells those who are mourning the death of a girl that she is only asleep. They laugh in unbelief and Jesus’ apparent cluelessness to the reality of death. Jesus silences their laughter by raising her from the dead and brings godly laughter in celebration of life restored.
It is an evil laughter when we make fun of others—when we ridicule—when we enjoy seeing others fail or harmed. This kind laughter is a poison inside of us spilling out for others to see and hear our callousness and cruelty. This is the laughter in our lives that Jesus wants to transform into a godly sorrow—sadness for our hearts that are inclined toward evil—compassion for others who suffer the consequences of bad choices and living in a sinful world.
The preacher in Ecclesiastes says there is a time to weep and there is a time to laugh (3:4). There is a time to mourn our losses; there is a time to be grateful for what we have been blessed with. There is a time to feel godly sorrow for our sins; there is a time to celebrate a change of heart and repentance. There is a time to stop evil laughter; there is a time to appreciate God’s sense of humor.
There is one explanation of why Orthodox Jews wear the yarmulke or skull cap that I like. It is to remember God’s abiding presence like a palm resting on our head as he looks down on us, chuckles, and says, “You silly human being.”
In Psalm 2, God laughs at us when we boast of our strength. “He who sits in the heavens laughs” (v. 4a). God thinks it’s funny when we make plans and don’t add the words “God willing” or consider the brevity and frailty of our earthly lives.
The most striking example of evil laughter being transformed into godly laughter is when Jesus is crucified. Those who crucified Jesus mocked him and even put a sign over his head to make a joke of him which says, “King of the Jews.” But three days later, God adds his own punchline when Jesus rises victoriously from the dead. He is not just King of the Jews. He is Lord of lords and King of kings—reigning over heaven and earth.
The average person laughs 17 times a day. When we laugh 100 times a day it is the equivalent of 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Laughter is good for the body, heart, and soul. Research suggests that laughter strengthens our immune systems, boosts our mood, diminishes pain and the damaging effects of stress. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Here we have the promise of laughter from the lips of Jesus. “You will laugh.” In Christ we have joy that transcends sorrow, we receive love that is deeper than heartbreak, and we celebrate lives transformed by the powerful reign of God.
Today is All Saints Sunday. We cherish the memory of loved ones who are no longer with us. They were not perfect. We even laugh at their quirks and imperfections. Our laughter is in gratitude for having known them and the funny stories we still share. Our loss on earth is God’s gain in heaven. God meets us in our sorrows and reminds us that there is still more to laugh about. We act foolishly, selfishly, and sinfully but in Christ we have forgiveness. We do not know what we are doing. We learn to laugh at ourselves but also celebrate God’s mercy in the One who laid down his life for us on the Cross. But the tomb where they lay Jesus is now empty. In the resurrection, we now laugh, dance, and give shouts of praise. We can even laugh in the face of death and say, “O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” In Christ all our tears will be wiped away and we will have only begun our eternal laughter.
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