Thought for the Day
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Jesus Christ laid His life down for every person. Christ did not laugh at our infirmities, our frailty, our idiosyncrasies and our foibles. Christ wept over Jerusalem.
Don’t try so hard to prove my point Mary.
Donald, 100% !!! Christ was not joyless miserable person. He certainly exhibited mirth.
That quote from Untold Fortune broke my brain. I couldn’t tell if he’s saying “Of course Christ laughed” or “Only heretics think Christ laughed.”
I’m guessing it’s the latter?
Anyway. Christ had a human nature. Absolutely he laughed. He experienced joy. He loved. He got angry. He wept. He was frustrated with his Apostles frequently. Christ experienced all those in more intense ways than we can imagine. He was a Divine Person with a divine and human nature. Anyone who says differently is the heretic.
I always thought “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Mt.10:31) was a very funny line given its context.
Plus, doesn’t C.K. Chesterton end “Orthodoxy” on God’s humor?
My favorite chuckle is Peter, worried about paying the Temple tax, is told by the Lord to cast his net and “surprise” he gets a fish with a coin in its mouth which is enough to pay the tax for both of them. Any better example of “don’t worry God will supply”?
The first public miracle was making water into wine.
He made sure that party was a good time.
No way he was a teetotaler either!!!
I always prefer to think of Christ as having the full range of human speech and reaction – even in the Gospels we see glimpses of the following: snark, sarcasm, deadpan, and pith. Why *wouldn’t* he have a sense of humor?
“In all ways except sin” has to acknowledge that.
The Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow is a comedy skit.
I always thought the road to Emmaus story in Luke’s gospel was evidence of Jesus humor. He just strings those two guys along keeping his identity secret until dinner. What was he thinking the whole time? “These guys are going to freak when they realize who I am.”
George-
I think the road to Emmaus could be what Shakespeare had in mind when he has Henry V move among his army incognito before Agincourt.
I always smile when he gives his name:
“Harry. LeRoi.” (Harry. “King.”) and they just don’t get it.
Agree with all here. Slightly off topic, and perhaps I’m being unfair, it has always seemed to me that the refusal of many to accept the full meaning of Christ’s humanity, that he is like us in all things except sin, is bound up with the Protestant inclination to treat Mary as a throwaway, kicked to the curb after Jesus began his active ministry. I believe that fully understanding His humanity leads inexorably to the conclusion that He naturally loves His mother as much as we all love our own mothers. Knowing this, it becomes quite easy to realize that we should venerate and love her, too, if for no other reason than that it makes Jesus happy when we do.
Note: My Protestant friends always are surprised to learn that Luther himself remained devoted to Mary until his death. The rejection of Our Lady took place long after Luther, Calvin, and the rest of the rebel heretics had passed from the scene.
I have always found Christ chastening of the woman at the well, “You have had five husband’s, and the one young have now is not your husband”, to be dry, if pointed humor. (And always wondered whose husband Number 5 actually was.)
By going incognito on the road to Emmaus Christ made it possible for the disciples to give His exegesis of the Scriptures their full and undivided attention. Christ vanished when He was recognized in the breaking of the bread. In the same way His Ascension allowed the people to give the Holy Spirit the same full and undivided attention at Pentecost.
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There are passages in the Bible where Christ is said to be amazed, which can be attributed to the expression of His human will.
Anyone can laugh at himself. No one can laugh at his neighbor. Christ busied Himself with His compassionate Heart. Christ loved us. Lovers do not laugh at their beloved.