We Value Laughter - 10/9/2011

Matthew 17:24 - Matthew 18:5

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?’ 25He said, ‘Yes, he does.’ And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?’ 26When Peter said, ‘From others’, Jesus said to him, ‘Then the children are free. 27However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.’

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ 2He called a child, whom he put among them, 3and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up thebones.

Playfulness and the Kingdom of God

Let's say it's April 13th and Peter runs into an accountant friend who works for H&R Block. She's harried and overworked. Her name is Suzie. Suzie's job is to make sure the numbers work.

She lives by numbers, data, tangible evidence. When she wakes, she's thinking about the numbers from yesterday, she drinks coffee while she imagines the numbers for today. She barely answers her phone because she's counting and no one likes to be interrupted while they're counting.

Suzie runs into Peter at the end of a long day. He says – how's it going? She looks at him with glazed eyes and shakes her head, "I'm sorry, what did you say?”

Peter laughs. How are you?

Oh – sorry – you know – it's tax time. Hey, does your teacher pay taxes? Peter says, Of course.

They part ways but when Peter gets back he asks – hey, do we pay taxes? Jesus asks – do the king's children pay taxes? (Oh for crying out loud Jesus, just answer the question... why you gotta answer a question with a question.) Peter says no, the kings kids don't pay taxes. Jesus says, then children ride for free. Yes, Jesus they do.

Jesus changes the subject - let's go fishing.

I can almost imagine just as Jesus casts his first line – Peter, I'll bet you dinner that the first fish we catch has a coin in its mouth.

Sure, you're on.

But wouldn't you know it – Peter catches the first fish and... there's a coin in its mouth. The exact amount of money that the two of them together need to pay their taxes.

Lesson #1 – don't bet the son of God.

I wonder what Peter's reaction was – did he jump up and down like a maniac or did he thoughtfully stare at the fish wondering - how did this fish get a coin in its mouth? Why on earth would a fish be carrying around a coin? That can't be comfortable for the fish. If I were the fish, I would've spit it out. Is there something wrong with this fish? Perhaps we should throw it back.

I found a website this week that spent 2000 words contemplating how the coin actually got into a fish's mouth. The website had multiple theories –

Theory #1 – God put the coin in the mouth of that fish.
Theory #2 – Jesus put that coin in the mouth of that fish.
Theory #3 – Jesus knew that there was a fish that had a coin in its mouth and trusted God to catch just the right fish.
Theory #4 – your ready – Fish go after shiny things – like lures for example – and that explains why a fish would have a coin in its mouth.

As I was reading, something in me thought – I think we're missing the point. I think it's meant to be playful from the beginning.

But we're not that good at playful, are we? We like to figure things out, be able to explain things.

The rest of the text starts to make sense if we assume that Jesus was simply trying to be playful. They've gone fishing, they caught a fish with a coin in its mouth and now they're sitting around the campfire when one of the disciples ask, who is the greatest in the kingdom.

Jesus calls over Nathaniel's boy and says... unless we change and become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of God.

It's early evening – it's silly time. Silly time – the time when kids twirl around in circles for no reason whatsoever until they fall down – and then they look at the adults watching and declare. "I fall down” and then they laugh.

Unless we change and become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of God.

How? How is that possible? We can't turn back time. We have responsibilities now. We have obligations – to our families, to our employers, to our government, to our neighborhoods, to our church, to our friends.

What is Jesus talking about? What does it mean to become like children?

Jesus tries to explain with a parable – imagine a shepherd who has 100 sheep but one goes astray. Jesus asks, "wouldn't the shepherd leave the 99 and go find the 1?

No. No, any responsible shepherd would leave the one – it's good business actually. A thinking, successful shepherd would realize that she's responsible for all of the sheep and if she leaves the 99 to look for one rogue sheep, she might lose even more of her capital.

It's not good business. And yet Jesus is highlighting it as a way to become like a child.

A child searches for things that are often overlooked or discounted by adults. Children often value resources that adults find unnecessary.

A child's world is often upside down to a grown up.

I imagine right then – as they were all arguing over how Jesus doesn't understand economics, Nathaniel's son hops up to Jesus on one foot asking, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” Jesus turns to him and says what is it?” "You want to hop, you want to hop, you want to hop on one foot, on one foot, with me?”

Why yes, I think I do. Just to see if he might get a different perspective.

Be playful. Jesus instructs us to be playful. When we are playful, we are given the chance to see the kingdom of God. When we are playful, we are able to break down walls that our responsibilities and obligations have erected.

I believe that's what we mean when we say that we value of laughter. We're committed to not taking ourselves too seriously. We're committed to finding the joy in the one thing – even if means that we set the 99 other responsibilities aside.

Laughing gets us in touch with our childlike side. Laughter – cheerfulness is good like medicine. Jesus challenges us to become like children.

When's the last time you blew bubbles, swung on the swings? built a snowman or a scarecrow? Climbed a tree, Flew a kite, bought a coloring book – for yourself? Played in the sand – dug a hole – a really big hole? Played with blocks or better yet – legos?

Today - everyone gets a kazoo.

We value laughter because it lets us be playful. Playfulness helps us get in touch with our inner child and when we become like children we see and experience the kingdom of God.

Last Updated -

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - 09:53 - cpcadmin