Have you ever heard of Smellovision? Before 1965, nobody had, and that changed when the BBC interviewed a professor who claimed to have invented it. Now, viewers at home could detect scents and smells from television sets. This practical joke is one of the most notable pulled off by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
We’ve all experienced poor humour that misses the mark.
One cannot help but smirk, imagining all the grown men and women with their noses pressed against their televisions. It was a practical joke with no harm and no foul. However, we have all experienced poor humour that misses the mark, not just in delivery, but in Christian taste. The Christian aims to glorify God in all they do (1 Corinthians 10:31). It is with this in mind that we ask ourselves, how then should we joke?
Humour Has Its Place
Humour is a wonderful blessing from God. It’s undoubtedly natural and human to enjoy it. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh.” We can imagine how the kids around Jesus must have broken out in laughter as they pictured one blind man confidently leading another blind man to the market, but unaware of the pit from the roadworks that had begun on the pavement (Matthew 15:14).
Though these are described, they aren’t prescribed.
Consider the stories of Elijah that were read in synagogues on the Sabbath. One can picture some of the young men struggling to contain their laughter when Elijah suggests to the prophets of Baal that their god could not hear them because he was in the toilet (1 Kings 18:20-40).
Even though humorous and satirical situations like these are in the Bible, we must remember that they are described, not prescribed. It is not sinful to enjoy humour. But it must be balanced out by what the Bible calls the believer to.
Humour Must Be Checked
Scripture teaches us to be sober-minded (1 Peter 5:8); to make every thought obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). But it never tells us to break out in laughter or cause others to do the same. One can venture to conclude that this is because the human heart tends so easily to frivolity, especially in our doomscrolling age of TikTok and Instagram reels; or because joking falls lower on the list of God-given Christian priorities. In other words, everybody enjoys a good laugh (Proverbs 17:22). Only, nobody ever missed out on heaven because he failed to get the crowd in stitches.
The human heart tends so easily to frivolity.
Having considered the blessing of humour and the level of sobriety that scripture calls us to, consider how the following guidelines can give us an idea of where the boundaries are for having a good laugh.
Guardrails to Joking
A good joke is like a fireworks show, a delight to behold when it goes well, but a disaster to forget when it explodes in the crowd. Here are two areas to be wary of to keep our humour from being destructive to the soul.
1. Matters of Spirituality
In his book, Preaching: Pure and Simple, Stuart Olyott says of humour, “Of course, there are some things that should never be laughed about, such as God, the atonement, death, judgement, heaven and hell. But when humour can be the servant of truth (and, surely, this is the great principle), let us not be afraid to use it.” We can draw valuable principles from this.
Don’t Joke About Sin
A good joke has the power to turn a mountain of weightiness into a molehill of wispiness. The danger is when this power is used to make light of something God hates and finds despicable. Do not make light of drunkenness, debauchery, deceit or any of the works of the flesh spoken of in verses like Galatians 5:19-21. Sin is the reason our Saviour was nailed to the cross (Isaiah 53:5).
Don’t Joke About Hell
This is a place of torment with weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28). A place where many people we know will spend eternity in agony (Matthew 7:13-14). Phrases such as ‘what the hell’, ‘no way in hell’, and ‘’go to hell’ should cause Christians to shudder, not snicker.
Don’t Joke About God
What do Nadab, Abihu, Annanias, Saphira, and Herod all have in common? None of them ever took God as seriously as they should have. And they paid a hefty price, dying immediately. Our God is a consuming fire; he isn’t to be trifled with (Hebrews 12:29). So don’t laugh with coworkers, actors, and unbelievers who make jokes about our God.
2. Matters of Sensibility
The great and golden rule that our Lord gave applies here. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Paul also aids us when he says we should only speak things that build up and fit the occasion (Ephesians 4:29).
Don’t Joke About Broken Hearts
Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” When someone you know has a heart broken over a broken hope, do not tear them down with crass jokes. The woman who has had an engagement broken off or the young man whose dream job application was rejected need your comfort and consolation.
Don’t Joke About Death
Solomon taught that times of mourning are supposed to be sober teaching moments (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Joking about death disarms the troop that is meant to guard us from the attacks of frivolity. This goes for suicide as well.
Don’t Joke About Those We Owe Honour
Think twice, then think again, before you make jokes about those you are meant to honour. In most cases, avoid making your wife, your parents, or the aged the butt of the joke, especially in public. Give honour to whom honour is due (Romans 13:7). The Westminster Shorter Catechism reads as follows, “The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors or equals.”
Learn to Laugh
When it comes to jokes, pranking, and humour, sometimes we find ourselves on the receiving end, with our noses pressed against the television. Everyone enjoys being the orchestrators of such an occasion, but most of us can take a joke, too. Whichever side of the screen we find ourselves on, let us remember that humour is a gift from God. Like all gifts, it needs guardrails. If we make it a point to regard matters of spirituality and sensibility with appropriate sobriety, we will be well on our way to honouring God with our humour.
