Proverbs 17:2 says A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
I know that there is a lot of serious things going on in the world, and maybe some of you came here today with a heavy heart. There are lots of things to be sad and concerned about these days.
But Jesus told his disciples some hopeful things before he suffered on that cross. He told them that there was hope, even joy in their future. John 15:11 says this: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. He goes on to indicate, yes, there is some bad stuff here, but your future with me is secure, the Holy Spirit will come and your sorrow will turn to joy! That happened 2000 years ago and the Holy Spirit is here with us now.
Last week we celebrated the highest holy day of the Christian year – Easter. The celebration of Jesus overcoming death and giving us that hope for us as well. Easter is a happy joyful day because we remember that Jesus came and showed us that there is so much more than we know and we are not alone.
Traditionally, this Sunday is often called Holy Humor Sunday because after all the shadows of Lent, we celebrate and laugh – laugh because who expected this turn of events? The hope of continued life sticks with us and maybe we can have cheerful hearts. Can we have some cheer?
With getting some cheer in mind, I am going to tell you some important things.
One day, quite a while ago, I was at a picnic and I was standing near the grill talking with some others. The grill-master was making steaks and asked me how I wanted my steak done… and I replied, “well done” which the grill-master followed up with “good and faithful servant.” That made my day! Wouldn’t it make your day?
One day when I was sitting at the beach reading my bible a little boy walked by, stopped short and asked me, “Are you a Christian?” I said yes. The boy continued, “Do you read your Bible every day?” I nodded, “yes” wondering a little what the boy was getting at. And he said, “Do you pray every day?” “Again, I replied, “yes” getting ready for maybe some more in-depth questions…. Then he asked his final serious question, “Will you hold my quarter while I go swimming?” We are witnesses for Christ!
I once heard that some kids were bragging about their families. The first kid says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.”
The second kid says, “That’s nothing. My Mom scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, she calls it a song, they give her $100.”
The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon…and it takes four people to collect all the money!”
Speaking of money…..2 Cor 9:7 says this: God loves a cheerful giver. An interesting fun fact about this scripture is that it uses a Greek word, Hilaros. Often Greek words translate in parallel with English words. (Have you seen the movie – my big fat Greek wedding?)
If we use the parallel here, it would read:
God loves a hilarious giver! Instead, we get something boring like God loves a cheerful giver.[1]
Now Bible scholars will probably tell you that this is one of the dangers of trying to translate the Bible using words that mean something different today than they did in ancient times.
But I just love that anyway! God loves a hilarious giver. Why do I like that?
Because when it comes right down to it, resurrection is very weird, but very great. Insiders to the amazing resurrection accounts accept this rising from the dead as reality. No problem, right?
But outsiders must think its just weird. Even the disciples, as it says in Luke, as they were rejoicing that Jesus was standing there with them, — were both scared and wondering…. WHAT IS THIS????? Is this a ghost? So, Jesus, comes up with a plan to convince them he is not a ghost…. Hey, (he says) do you have anything I can eat? Cause if I am a ghost, that food with drop right through my ghostly body to the floor. But apparently, thank God, the food disappeared in Jesus’ body.
It must have been a moment like: 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! And I’ll note that nobody told Jesus to shut the door because he was born in a barn. (I like that one. My mother used to say that to me all the time. “Shut the door, were you born in a barn? Took me a while to figure out that one.)
Another fun fact. This word, hilaros, is used only once in all of the NT. Do you know how many times the word joy is used? I’m taking guesses….just shout it out. It’s like guessing the jelly beans in the jar.
250+ (oh you read my sermon title!) But depending on the translation used, it says JOY even more…. It can be upwards of 1000!
The joy is the valuable thing. It’s good to be joking and laugh at jokes…. But JOY, is better.
Luke says the disciples returned to Jerusalem with GREAT JOY! Jesus had just flown up to the clouds, but they were filled with the JOY of the HOLY Spirit and we know about that. Hey, I’ll take the weird if it means HOLY Spirit JOY, Peace, Love….. Gifts….
I have always thought that Jesus was fun to be around. I know that not much in the NT indicates smiled or laughed, but kids were attracted to him, not some dour, unsmiling, serious “religious” type. You know why? I have never met anyone to whom kids were attracted who was grim, sour and glum.
That reminds me of one time I was traveling with my confirmation kids, looking at my GPS to find directions and having a hard time with it. It was telling me something weird as they sometimes do. One kid standing next to me asked me if Moses had a GPS when they were going through the wilderness because he seemed to be having a hard time with it since he saw it said “arriving at destination in 40 years” …. And thinking, that can’t be right!”
Oh, those, kids!
Now I know that some people in this world really get slammed with one traumatic thing after another and there are places where awful things happen every single day. My heart goes out to those people. But that doesn’t change the joy that the Holy Spirit living in you can add to your life. And we, as followers of Christ, can have that joy, even in the midst of difficulty because of what God has given to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I would like to credit the Joyful Noise Letter with Cal and Rose Samra for the silly stories I used today. I did not make them up; they are not my jokes.
Galatians 5:22 says that “By contrast, to others, the fruit of the Spirit God has given to us is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness.”
Jesus tells his disciples in John 15:11: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. Jesus finds joy in you! Put that in your jelly bean jar and let your joy be complete. Halleluia Christ is Risen, and so are WE. Amen
