One time comedian, Alan King, took actress Judy Garland to dinner in New York City. They went to Chinatown, and as soon as they arrived, King ordered the first course—stir-fried chicken, lobster, and Chinese vegetables. When it came to the table, it had a large, black, round thing on top that Garland had never seen before, so she asked, “What is that”?
King’s reply was quick and confident, “Oh, that’s a very
rare and exotic Chinese mushroom. It’s such a delicacy that they only use one
per serving.” And as he finished his explanation, the exotic mushroom began to
move. Suddenly, it crawled off the plate, across the table, and up the wall
causing Garland to scream. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her mouth
opened, but no sound emerged. Sensing that she had lost control, King reached
over and slapped her on the cheek saying, “Judy, snap out of it!” Instantly,
Garland wheeled around and slapped him across the face saying, “What are you
doing you idiot? I’m not hysterical, I’m just laughing.”
Cathy Guisewite is not a household name, but her cartoon
series is. “Cathy” is one of the longest running cartoon strips in the country.
A few years ago Cathy was asked, “Where did you get your sense of humor?” Her
reply was immediate, “Well, to tell you the truth, when I was a little girl my
parents and I were expecting company for dinner. My mother was hyper and so was
I. When the company arrived and we sat down for dinner, I accidentally knocked
over my glass of milk and it ran down to the floor. I sat there on the verge of
tears until I happened to glance over at my dad who was holding the milk
pitcher upside down. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was a grown man who was
dumping all the milk on the floor. When my stunned mother finally composed
herself she asked, “Bill, what are you doing?” My Dad replied, “Oh, what the
heck. It looked like fun.” Cathy says, “From that moment on, I knew the power
of laughter.”
Scientists who study these things have discovered that
laughter has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every organ of
the body. According to scientists, laughter reduces tension and relaxes body
tissue as well as exercise. It’s said that laughter, even when forced, results
in beneficial effects on us mentally and physically.
In Genesis 18 we have the first mention of laughter in the
Bible. And interestingly, the first person in the Bible to laugh is one who has
just had his name changed from “Exalted Father” to “The Father of Nations.” In
the space of a moment, God joins His name to Abram’s name. In English it’s the
addition of two letters, “H” and “A”; but in Hebrew it’s only one letter,
pronounced, “Hay.” Linguists call it a voiceless, glottal fricative. It’s the
letter formed by breathing out. It’s the same letter that is used to form the
Hebrew word for the Spirit of God—rauch.
It’s the same breath God uses to form the heavens and the earth. It’s the same
breath or wind that hovers over the face of the deep. It’s the same breath the
risen Christ expels on His disciples in John 20 saying, “Receive the Holy
Spirit.” So think of it. When God changes Abram’s name in the early verses of
chapter 17, it’s to prepare him to laugh in verse 17. It’s to prepare him to
understand that often the only appropriate response to the grace of God is
laughter.
But as you know, all laughter is not the same. There are
laughs of contempt and doubt and there are laughs of joy and abandonment.
Laughter can be derisive or delightful. It is the attitude of the heart that
determines its essence.
In commenting on Genesis 17:17 someone writes, “Abraham’s
mind was in a whirlwind. He was believing, doubting, hoping, fearing, laughing
all at once. His laughter was not the laughter of scorn, or was it comic
relief?... The context shows that it was laughter of astonishment which sometimes
bursts from us involuntarily…”
Now whether that is a true commentary on the nature of
Abraham’s laughter is open to debate. Even with the context it’s difficult to
determine. What isn’t so difficult to determine is the laughter we find in
chapter 18. This time it’s not Abraham who laughs, but Sarah, his wife. In
fact, she’s called out for her laugh. In verse 13 the Lord says to Abraham,
“Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am
old?’” And it is immediately in the face of her laugh that the Lord asks the
question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
This Sunday is Easter! Last year we were apart for Easter
due to COVID-19. BUT this year we’re back together for WORSHIP with a message
entitled, “HA HA HA!” Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18 and John 20
answer that question with a resounding “NO!”
In preparation for “HA HA HA” you may wish to consider the
following:
1. Who are these three men who are standing near the door of
Abraham’s tent?
2. Why does Abraham run to them and bow himself to the ground?
3. What does Abraham mean when he calls them “O Lord” in verse
3?
4. Why does he want them to stay and eat?
5. Why does Abraham do way more than he says he’ll do in verse
5?
6. Why does Abraham stand by while they eat?
7. Why do they have an interest in Sarah and her whereabouts?
8. Why does she laugh?
9. Why does she deny laughing?
10. What’s the essence of the Lord’s question in verse 14?
See you Sunday!
