Humor: Does God have one?

Question:  Dear Dr. Roane, I hear some preachers say that God has a sense of humor, and that the Bible has many examples of that. What do you think?

Answer: Well, to be honest with you, right from the get go. I really don't think God has a sense of humor, nor do I see humor intentionally use in Scripture. There are some funny things that happened, but nothing that I can see that was intended as such.

Humor for the most part is relative and bound by cultural. Also, all humor that I can think of has a element of surprise; therefore, the question arises: Can anything surprise God? Also, something that is funny to an American may seem complete nonsense to, say for instance, a German or someone from China. One preacher I know found Jesus talking about a man swallowing a camel as the intentional use of humor to get a point across. To me this is just another example of an idiom used in everyday Middle Eastern culture, particularly during those days. 

So, no, I would say, they Bible is many things, but it is certainly not a book of humor. The Bible is far too serious and practical for that (Ephesians 5:4). There are places where God uses irony, sarcasm, absurdity, etc., to get his point across. But not humor for humor's sake. God has many characteristics, in my opinion, but a funny bone is not one of these.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love humor, and enjoy someone with a good sense of humor, but as far as I am concerned I don't find any use of it in the Bible. 

Let me go one step further. Jokesters in the pulpit are an annoyance, and irreverent in my opinion. The Sunday morning sermon should never become the comedy hour; however, it is in some cases. A good sermon may have a good joke in it, but it should be told to make a point and to relieve tension; however, telling a joke just to tell a joke and get people to laugh is out of place; and a joke, any joke, must have a clearly intended purpose. Comedy is something that comedians should get paid for, not preachers.

Having said all of this the pulpit is not the time to bring on the clowns, in my humble opinion.

Trust this helps, 

JimR_/