Have you ever wondered, “Did Jesus ever laugh?” As a pastor, I am asked that question often. Since each of us are made in His image, it stands to reason that we each hold certain characteristics of God. My wife is very astute. She often says, I got God’s funny bone.” I do try to see the lighter things of life.

The Bible is not clear whether Jesus laughed but I want you to ponder a few things. Have you ever visited a zoo and watched monkeys and gorillas play? I dare you to keep a straight face. While visiting the Washington zoo as a young child, I was drawn to the antics of one large gorilla in his cage. Not only did the gorilla imitate us and make a lot of silly noises, but midway through our gawking session, he lobbed what appeared to be mustard on my Dad’s shirt. It wasn’t mustard. My Dad didn’t laugh, but I thought it was hilarious.

I can’t imagine an animal like a gorilla, penguin or dolphin that is so inquisitive, that God couldn’t stop for a moment every once and a while and laugh at His own creation.

The Bible tells us that on the Sea of Galilee one dark and treacherous night, the disciples were in a boat. The weather was rough and they were scared stiff. They all thought a ghost was walking on the water towards them. It wasn’t, it was Jesus. When Jesus told His disciples to not be afraid it was only He, Peter asked a straight forward question, “Can I come out to you?” When Jesus said, “Sure”, Peter promptly took a hasty stroll before the showoff in him made him turn to see the others envious faces. Because he took his eyes off Jesus, instantaneously he sunk fully in the water with his sandals and heavy clothes weighing him down. Bobbing up and down, he screamed for help.

Scripture tells us that Jesus quickly grabbed him by the hand and lifted the scared bedraggled disciple up beside Him. I can’t help but think that for one instant, Jesus chuckled at Peter’s mishap. Think about it, haven’t you ever seen someone thrown in a pool with their clothes on and gotten a laugh out of them looking like a drowned rat? Let’s not deny Jesus a little fun here; He knew Peter would be okay.

Despite each day carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders, Jesus never denied little children from crawling into His lap and playing with them. This brings me to my main point. I dare you to spend one afternoon with a bunch of precocious children and not break a smile at least once. Especially when the most energetic one of the group places a whole bowl of food like Spaghettio’s on his head.

Therein lies proof you are made in God’s image, I detected a laugh.