Share a Joke

 

 "He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy." Job 8:21

One of the best things about laughter is sharing it and nothing beats a shared joke or a chuckle together. In an article exploring the health benefits of laughter, John Cleese wrote ‘laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter.’

I like to think that one of the ways that Jesus connected with His disciples was through having a good laugh with them! I am sure that during the years they spent, eating, travelling, resting and talking together, there were times of great joy and laughter.

Jesus had much to impart to his disciples, often there were difficult lessons to learn, but He said to them in John 15:11 ‘I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!’ Jesus Himself could only endure the hard times ‘because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross’ (Hebrews 12:2) 

It says in Luke 19:6 that after Zacchaeus had his life changing revelation he ‘quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy’. I am sure Jesus would have also been overflowing with joy and there would have been much laughter during their time together that day. 

Many of us don’t have someone we can have a laugh with at the moment, and it’s easy to underestimate how disconnected that makes us feel. Zooms and phone calls are great, but a 2D screen with lags, stutters and pauses is nothing like the real in-person experience! However, the wonderful truth is, that no matter where we are, Jesus is actually present in the room with us by the Holy Spirit and Jesus loves to laugh!

So even when we feel alone, we have a companion who joins us in joy and laughter as well as struggles and tears. God is with us and God loves it when our joy and laughter overflows and He laughs with us too!
 
Let’s pray: Thank you Jesus that you came to this earth so that we may overflow with joy. Thank you that we can share in your joy and laughter and that you continue to show us the way to much better times ahead. Amen