Someone once asked me if there was any evidence that God liked jokes. “I know that ‘Jesus wept ’ (John 11.35),” he said. “And I know God laughed, although it seems like He was usually laughing at uppity rulers who took a stand against Him (Psalm 2.4) or scoffing at foolish nations (Psalm 59.8). So, we can read about emotions including mirth. What about jokes?”
First I thought of Balaam’s ass, which is a pretty funny story when you picture the poor donkey stopping in the road because it could see the angel even if its master could not. “Quit hitting me,” says the donkey. “Hunnnh??” replies the less insightful one with the whip. I think God was being funny with the Balaam story, although it doesn’t seem to quite be a joke.
And this may not be a joke either but God definitely showed me a sense of humor back in the mid-1980s when I was driving our brown Plymouth Reliant back and forth to New Hudson for work. This was the K-car with the droopy large letter K on the back panel of the trunk. A couple of the rivets had given way, so the K was tipped over on its back, prompting our friend Bob to dub it the “Lazy-K-car.” It was an hour’s drive each way to New Hudson, taking longer than it does today because back then Jimmy Carter’s gas rules were in place and the Interstate speed limit was 55. Not that most people drove 55 but I discovered that if I stayed in the right lane going close to 55 I did not have to worry about passing anyone – I once made it from the Milford exit on I-96 to the Pennsylvania exit on I-496 on cruise the whole way without having to hit the brakes once.
For enrichment (the cruise control game had abundant amusement but little enrichment) I had gotten from church a set of “Bible on Tape” cassettes. It is true that our Lazy-K-car was sweet, but it only had a radio. So, I used a portable cassette player and flipped the tapes over when they were done. New Testament first, of course – no sense slogging through Leviticus unless you know the whole tape thing is viable.
I had indications that the batteries were wearing out – the tape seemed a bit sluggish – on the morning I started Acts chapter 2 – Pentecost. The fire of the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples; they began speaking in tongues which the visitors to Jerusalem could understand; and many of those who heard were “amazed and perplexed.” But some made fun and claimed the disciples had too much to drink.
Peter stood up to answer the crowd. He began one of his most powerful evangelistic messages. His voice started strongly with verse 14, “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.” Then the batteries let Peter down, as he slurred out the next half sentence, “Theessse mennn aarrre notttt ddrruuunnnkk…” And the tape stopped.
I was stunned. The moment was gone before I could appreciate it completely. I chuckled a little bit then, and the story always gets a good laugh in the retelling. But I appreciate the great love God showed me by arranging from before time for those batteries to fail on that tape at that point just so I could know that God does have a sense of humor.
A. Knapp for That 