City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said…

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Luke 6:20, 25b ESV

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24 ESV

Reflection

Is Jesus against laughing?

On Friday, Aisha wrote about the hidden joy of being worthy to be called Christ’s when we are reviled by the world. In Luke 6:23, Jesus told his disciples that they should “[r]ejoice in that day, and leap for joy” when they face opposition on His account. Certainly rejoicing and leaping for joy can and does include laughing, so Jesus is clearly not against laughter. However Jesus’ words in v. 25 imply that it is a certain kind of laughing that is woeful.

Recall that Jesus is speaking directly to his disciples (v. 20). The blessings He pronounced in the verses prior are for those disciples who despite being poor, hungry, mournful, and reviled by the world, live seeking God’s kingdom above all. The inverse of seeking God’s kingdom is seeking to build my kingdom because the human heart cannot serve more than one master (Matthew 6:24). It’s to disciples who seek glory for themselves we find Jesus pronouncing woes.

So what has this got to do with laughing?

Well, when I pursue my will, my rights, and my comfort as my ultimate purpose, I will be rewarded by experiencing laughter now but Jesus says it will lead to mourning because the present laughter I receive is my full reward (see Luke 6:24). This is the kind of laughing that Jesus warns His disciples against — the kind that causes us to miss a heavenly reward.

Application

Receiving these sayings of Jesus requires humble hearts. The good news is that Jesus our Lord and Savior knows exactly where we are spiritually, in relation to His teachings and still calls us to Himself.

In humility, ask Him to reveal your heart’s current posture: is it toward His kingdom or towards yours? He loves us and will never turn us away when we come to Him (John 6:37).

His grace is deeply sufficient as He reveals what’s in our hearts. Receive His grace and trust Him to align your heart towards His will.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, by Your precious blood that You shed on my behalf, please have mercy on me for the times I have pursued my kingdom. I repent and ask for Your grace to die to myself daily to follow You, amen.