Because our reading tastes tend to be in alignment the majority of the time, it is not unusual for my parents and I to swap Christian fiction recommendations, especially when available for free from the library. Since my reading tastes seem to find their titles fitting the label of “Christian men’s fiction,” it is not too difficult to dodge writers who include a little too much romance with their intrigue; however, one of my recent recommendations surprises me because I did find it a little sappy in the romance department. Pondering what drew me into the story enough to recommend it, I realize that the writer’s ability to capture the banter that often occurs among team members (law enforcement or sports) amused me a great deal. Even in tense and critical moments, the ease of laughter, teasing, and sarcasm among characters had me engaged in the story.

Lynn Blackburn’s characters in Unknown Threat had me fondly reminiscing past experiences from athletic and mission teams, from family gatherings to time with friends, where the teasing is all in good fun and helps cement the memories deeply into our hearts. Feeling accepted and secure, in those moments it is easy to use deprecating humor at our quirkiness, knowing that we can Appreciate the Differences in how God created us, and allow laughter and humor to fill the atmosphere. Thinking along these lines about camaraderie, my mind wandered to how Jesus might have used humor in His relationships.

Around the same time these contemplations were floating about regarding the notion of a Smiling Jesus, I recalled Cal Samra’s opinion that we need more imagery of the happy, healthy, and smiling man as he describes Jesus in The Physically Fit Messiah. Whether or not you agree with certain portrayals of Jesus’ personality, it reassures me when artists paint the picture of a Smiling Jesus; and when viewing several episodes of The Chosen this week, I burst out into laughter several times when the actor playing Jesus uses wit and humor in his interactions with His hodge-podge group of disciples. In one scene, the group hesitantly knocks on the door of the home where they are to lodge for the night and when the owner explains that he has several rooms available from which they can choose; however, one is haunted by his dead mother, a Smiling Jesus with eyebrows raised, eagerly crosses the threshold while uttering, “I’ll take that one!” I imagine even the Father himself laughed out loud at that line!

Authors like Carlos Whitaker reference this idea of a Smiling Jesus with comments such as “We serve a God who is silly with us,” and John Eldredge shares of Dallas Willard’s opinion that “Undoubtedly he is the most joyous being in the universe. The abundance of his love and generosity is inseparable from his infinite joy. All of the good and beautiful things from which we occasionally drink [Willard includes the sea in all its beauty, or a wonderful movie, or music].” Other writers and pastors recommend we look at the playfulness of nature, such as we witness with young animals and children, to remind us that happiness and humor are a part of how God created us in His image. Life would be pretty hard to accept without the ability to use laughter, at ourself and others, to relieve the tension and anxiety of today’s culture. For over 2000 years, laughter has been one of the best medicines available to us.

In addition to the examples above, I offer one additional perspective that confirms my belief that I serve a Smiling Jesus, and that comes from pastor Mark Driscoll who shares reasons why we often miss the humor of Jesus, “because the death of Jesus is the centerpiece of our theology, it has in some ways so dominated our thinking about Jesus that his life prior to his death is seen as little more than one of avoiding sin and being an acceptable sacrifice, which means that his humor and fun are overlooked. But the fact that Jesus was often invited to parties because people liked him, crowds thronged around him, and his fiercest critics falsely accused him of being nothing but a party animal suggests he was fun to hang with (Luke 5:33; 7:31–35).”

Perhaps the attempt to picture a Smiling Jesus is uncomfortable for you, but I find immense reassurance in this imagery and look forward to the day when I can hang out with Him and experience that smile for myself.

References:

Blackburn, L.H. (2021). Unknown threat. [Kindle version]. Revell.

Driscoll, M. (2017, September 6). Does Jesus have a sense of humor? Patheos.com Retrieved from https://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdriscoll/2017/09/jesus-sense-humor-part-2/

Eldredge, J. (2003). Waking the dead: The glory of a heart fully alive. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Jenkins, D. (Director). (2017). The Chosen. Angel Studios.

Samra, C. (2016). The physically fit Messiah: Wellness wisdom past and present. Robert Reed Publishers.

Whitaker, C. (2020, September 5). “Enter Wild.” [Audio podcast]. Fresh Life Church. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2j01fD5e7g