And Jesus laughed

The gospels (official and not so official) and few historical accounts about Jesus don’t necessarily portray him as having much of a lighter side. And over the centuries, the imagery on stained glass, paintings and statues shows a sad-eyed fellow, reinforce his solemn image: Here’s a guy with a staff quietly wading through sheep in gridlock, holding the requisite fingers upward when making an important point during a parable. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed Galilean morosely moving through a world clutched in the fist of Rome.

Never  smiling. The one described in John in what is the shortest verse in all of the Scriptures: Jesus wept.

On the surface, who could dispel this portrayal? After all, Jesus had a job description and goals set for him that no Lean Six Sigma guru ever could achieve. Not to mention his earthly mission statement: to transform the lives of creatures of free will and redeem them.  That's a pretty tall order.

When reading between the lines of both the official and unofficial biographies of Jesus, it becomes clear to me that he was one quite capable of a good quip or joke. A clever twist of words that made the haughty religious cops in tall hats jiggle their phylacteries nervously.

Say, y’all – hear the one about the Pharisee and tax-collector going into the temple to pray? Well, quite piously the former thanked the Almighty he wasn’t like the most folks, particularly the bean-counter standing behind him. Then the collector stepped forward just asking to be forgiven for who he is and what he has done.  Remember this: if you think highly of yourself you’re pretty low. And if you have some humility, you up your odds in the view of the one who really counts.

Indeed, brevity is the soul of wit. Or would that be the wit of a supreme soul? In the last hours of his life, Jesus is being interrogated by the flabby high-ranking bureaucrat Pilate, who hits him with a question as sneeringly smarmy as Nancy Grace interviewing a trailer court spokesman.

Are you the king of the Jews?...  

Your words, not mine, Governor. I can hear the military advisers standing behind Pilate, stifling chuckles at the response given by the tired, beaten man standing before them.

I would not presume to conjure a Christ beyond the travails we know he experienced. But in my own feeble imagination and faith, I fathom a Jesus who:

• While helping Peter out of his jam after losing his nerve walking on water toward the master. For extra measure, Jesus gives him a playful dunk in the Galilee to drive home his point and then yells out, Marco! … Polo!
• Teasing youngsters as they gathered round him – much to the dismay of his disciples – then playfully gives a few of his followers those head-burning nuggies to remind them they once were kids.
• Don’t dismiss his hand at having some upper-world happy things. As Jesus was starting his ministry and attending a wedding, it seems he was able to turn some tepid jugs of water into some pretty vintage wine.
• Sharing in the laughter and joy that erupted when he raised Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter from death.
• Playing referee to sisters Mary and Martha as they squabble in their Bethany home over who’s really in charge of the Messiah.

So very many human dimensions to our friend from Nazareth. Surely, all of those experiences we deal: Sorrows, triumphs, trials, tribulations, uncertainties and so forth. Certainly bearing a weight no mere mortal could ever carry. And yet -- having  humor of being flesh and blood.

But when it comes to having the last laugh, Jesus had the best and loudest of them all. When he opened his eyes on that third day and waved goodbye to death.

Beyond any doubt, that is one of the finest punchlines ever.