Somber

This past weekend, I watched the Visual Bible presentation of "Matthew," a word-for-word dramatization of the Gospel of Matthew. Since I had not enjoyed the Visual Bible "Acts" all that much, I wasn't sure what to expect of "Matthew." But I was pleasantly surprised. Bruce Marchiano, the actor who portrays Jesus (and has done so more than any other single actor in various productions), gives a spirited performance as the savior. He smiles often, plays jokes on the disciples, and is approachable. He's fun to watch as Jesus. That's not to say that Jesus is treated light-heartedly in the film. Rather, you can begin to believe that people would want to be around this Jesus.

That's not the case in a lot of "Jesus" movies. I have a rather large collection of such movies (occupational hazard) and often Jesus is portrayed as somber, almost robot-like. (For instance, in the classic "Jesus of Nazareth," Jesus never blinks.) Rarely does he smile. As I watch those movies, I wonder, "This is the man whom children ran up to instinctively?"

When I read some of the "reviews" of "Matthew," I figured out why most filmmakers go with "somber Jesus." It's because that's what people want. I saw review after review that called Marchiano's performance too light-hearted to be the savior, even almost blasphemous. Jesus was fully human, one said, but he was also fully divine. He could not have smiled that much.

Really?

Today on Facebook, on one of the clergy pages I visit, one person was ranting about another church in town that was having "Holy Humor" Sunday. I don't know what this particular church was doing, but this is a tradition that comes from the Eastern strain of Christianity, one that focuses on the "great trick" Jesus pulled on Satan, that Jesus had "the last laugh" on the devil by rising from the dead. This person ranted that such "Holy Humor" was blasphemous against Jesus.

Really?

It reminds me of a story I heard Maxie Dunnam tell years ago, about a little boy that was turned around in his pew in church, smiling at everyone around him. He wasn't causing trouble, he wasn't making a fuss, he was just smiling. That is, until his mother saw him. She yanked his arm around, scolded him with a loud stage whisper and said, "Now, stop that smiling and let's worship God."

Really?

Is that the image we have of God, of the divine? That God is constantly mad at us? That he scowls That there is nothing about us or about the creation that would cause God to smile, even to laugh? Do we think Jesus has to be somber to be truly "holy"? Is that why so many people come to church looking as if they have been sucking lemons? Is that what we believe holiness is?

I have had this picture hanging in my home for many years...

It's a picture of "Laughing Jesus." I don't know who painted it, but I love this picture because I can't imagine a savior who didn't laugh, who didn't soak up life, who wasn't the life of the party. (After all, if he was so dour, why did he keep getting invited to dinner, to parties?) Yes, Jesus came here to take care of a serious task, and certainly at different points in his life there are tears and anger...but isn't there also room for laughter? If Jesus knew the full range of human emotion, can't you imagine him laughing when Peter told a good joke, when Thomas tripped on his robe, or when Mary poured out the oil on him?

The prophet Zephaniah says that God sings over us and that he delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17). God is angry at the sin and brokenness in the world, to be sure, but he loves each and every one of his children. Even those who rebel against him. He rejoices over you, he sings over you and he even smiles to see the good in your life. He loves you. He really does.