Holy Humor

Zechariah 9:12-17

 

Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword.

Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south,

and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.

The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.

How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

 

John 1:44-51

 

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," said Philip.

 

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

 

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

 

John 1:47       When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

 

I've always loved this passage of scripture, mainly because it reveals something about Jesus that we don't normally see: His humor. He is joking with Nathaniel when Christ says “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” The day before this encounter, Nathaniel hesitated to accept what Philip said about Jesus, mainly because Christ came from Nazareth. Nathaniel had got it into his mind that Nazareth was not a suitable place for the Messiah to come from. It had nothing to do with Christ’s ability to lead or teach. According to Nathaniel, Jesus came from the wrong end of the country, so how could he be the long-expected Anointed One? It just didn't fit into his idea about who the Messiah should be.

 

That’s why Jesus calls out in jest. He is making Nathaniel aware that Christ knows who he is, what he has said, and what he prejudicially thinks about Jesus. He uses humor to disarm Nathaniel and to put his doubts to rest. Nathaniel doesn't get the jest; he’s too serious about himself. But when Christ tells him that he saw him the day before, something happens inside of Nathaniel that makes him realize who Jesus really is. He blurts out that Jesus is the Son of God and the true King of Israel, which makes Jesus continue his joke for just one second longer. He seems to say:

“You think all of these things about me just because I saw you under a fig tree? You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

 

I suppose we like to think that Jesus will treat us with the same kind of patience and humor each day of our lives. We all say and do stupid things, but we hope and pray that He will forgive us, and lead us on to the greater things He still has in store for us. Perhaps one day in heaven, we'll hear Jesus kindly laugh at some of our mistakes, and then He'll tell how He helped us to overcome them. Until then, we'll live for that moment when we'll see Jesus smiling with His eyes, as we love and worship Him with all our hearts.

 

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, look down favorably at us and guide us with Your godly ways. Help us to hold on to the hopes of hearing Your laughter and experiencing Your smile. Restore us to Your Father’s favor, so that we may rejoice in Your goodness for the rest of our lives. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.