“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” -Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.
Laughter is a precious gift from God, but there is a time and place for it. I myself have experienced being comforted by laughter during grief, but I've also shamefully made light of others' grief through it. Earlier in my life I was even called a clown, or joker, and often people would ask me to make them laugh! Yet Jesus said we'll give an account for every idle word we speak, and I do thank God for His grace and forgiveness while growing in Him.
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” -Matthew 12:36,37.
How can we be taken seriously if we're constantly joking, and making light of things? Pastors and teachers in churches do this often, almost giving “stand up comedy” routines in an effort to make the people FEEL GOOD about themselves and the service; scripture says in our day that men will be “ lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4), and if these leaders seek to please men, then they're no longer the servants of Christ.
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10.
The Bible and its message clearly isn't meant to be humorous, and though it's understandable that we may smile at certain accounts in it, I would still contend there's nothing in scripture put there for the purpose of laughter. The destruction of the world in the flood isn't funny; God's repeated judgments, & chastenings of His children aren't funny (Hebrews 12:5-11); Jesus' awful suffering through the cross never makes me laugh, neither does the thought of eternity in Hell for most of mankind.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” -Matthew 10:28.
Numerous scriptures can apply to the “limits of laughter” being discussed here, but it appears more directly in Ephesians 5 as part of a larger passage (Ephesians 5:3-11), listing foolish talking and jesting as practices unbecoming to saints, and are part of a list which includes fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness; declaring that such practicing these have no inheritance in the kingdom of God!
God isn't in favor of so-called “Christian comedy”, by which I mean it to describe the deliberate, excessive use of humor when preaching the gospel of Jesus; here are some of the problem points I see in “Christian comedy”;
First, it directly disregards the Bible's instruction against it found in Ephesians 5:3&4.
Secondly, there's NO Bible teaching or examples promoting it.
Third, in Ephesians 5:16 we're told to redeem the time; making the best use of it; we should be learning more than laughing.
Point 4 is that by promoting comedy we're becoming a friend of the world, and are therefore God's enemy. Jesus said the world hated Him because He testified that its works are evil, and said the world would hate us (John 15:18,19), as well.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. -James 4:4.
“The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” -John 7:7.
Number 5 is that almost without exception, those using humor will add false testimony (Proverbs 30:6) to God's Word in trying to get laughs; we have to serve God in TRUTH (John 4:24.)
“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” -1 Corinthians 2:17.
And my last point #6 is that humor injected into the message greatly diminishes the need and purpose of the cross; many preachers like to use levity to “break up” or soften the heavier messages regarding sin-they want people to “feel good” about themselves, and lay aside any genuine conviction that may last.
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” -1 Corinthians 2:2.
All of the world needs salvation through Jesus Christ, and this matter is indescribably serious. When my Bible study teacher referred to Jesus as a FUN GUY, I recalled a descriptive prophecy of Jesus that was quite contrary to what my teacher said in Isaiah 53:3,4 which says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
Let us praise God for His gift of laughter, but PRAY that the anointing we receive (1 John 2:27) of God will prevail in truth to lead us into the right time and place for expressions done in this way.
“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” -Ecclesiastes 7:3,4.
“Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” -Romans 12:15
I also have a YouTube video at https://youtu.be/9Sqt5LUdI6Q and a video Short at https://youtube.com/shorts/ANfoCBbehC4?feature=share
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