Topic: Did Jesus ever smile?

[prodromas]

A Greek teacher I used to have said one day that early accounts about Jesus said that he didn't not smile and constantly had a graven image with tears (or the remnants of tears). Obviously this isn't a huge issue but I just was wondering if this could be "confirmed".

[Athanasios]

Hello,

The only times I can imagine Jesus not smiling is when He was rebuking and during His Passion.

[Mo the Ethio]

My first thought is how could Christ, the lover of humankind, not smile ?

[prodromas]

The reasoning was something like him knowing the pain that everyone was going through and having to bear the sins of mankind was almost unbearable.

[Alexius]

The Dogma of the Immaculate Smile

[Jakub]

Alexius, nice avatar, I shared the same with a old amigo here...

james

[Ebor]

Iirc, something along this line shows up in The Name of the Rose... have to go hunting on the shelves...I *think* we have a copy.

Ebor

[PeterTheAleut]

The argument I've heard against any idea that Jesus ever laughed (or smiled?) says something to this effect:  The mission Christ came to fulfill was one of [our] life and death, a mission to save that required the utmost seriousness and sobriety, and that laughter (and smiling?) runs completely counter to this sobriety.  Personally, I'm aware that there is nothing in the Gospels to indicate that Jesus ever laughed or smiled or otherwise "had a good time", but neither am I aware of anything in the Gospels that says definitively that He never did.

[Alexius]

Alexius, nice avatar, I shared the same with a old amigo here...

james

Yes, it is one of my favorite icons (esp. since I'm Polish)...

[Alexius]

The argument I've heard against any idea that Jesus ever laughed (or smiled?) says something to this effect:  The mission Christ came to fulfill was one of [our] life and death, a mission to save that required the utmost seriousness and sobriety, and that laughter (and smiling?) runs completely counter to this sobriety.  Personally, I'm aware that there is nothing in the Gospels to indicate that Jesus ever laughed or smiled or otherwise "had a good time", but neither am I aware of anything in the Gospels that says definitively that He never did.

I've never actually given this much thought...what about as a baby? Like when babies smile? Does that happen? Maybe not. I guess the argument makes sense...Icons certainly show no emotion in Christ, so they are also a testimony to his mission.

Btw, should the "he" (in reference to Jesus) be capitalized? I used to do it, but not alot of people do...

[PeterTheAleut]

Btw, should the "he" (in reference to Jesus) be capitalized? I used to do it, but not alot of people do...

I'm aware that even the [Old] Revised Standard Version of the Bible does not capitalize the pronoun "he" when they use this to refer to Christ.  But in all the settings of hymnography I've seen, "He" is capitalized when it refers to any of the Persons of the Trinity, as is any other pronoun used in this specific manner.  I personally prefer the convention I see in these translations with which I work so frequently.  To me, it's a matter of reverence to refer to Christ as "He" or "Him".

[Alexius]

I'm aware that even the [Old] Revised Standard Version of the Bible does not capitalize the pronoun "he" when they use this to refer to Christ.  But in all the settings of hymnography I've seen, "He" is capitalized when it refers to any of the Persons of the Trinity, as is any other pronoun used in this specific manner.  I personally prefer the convention I see in these translations with which I work so frequently.  To me, it's a matter of reverence to refer to Christ as "He" or "Him".

OK, then "He" it is...Thanks

[mmaccs]

Jesus was not afraid to poke a little fun at others with His irony. It wasn't only the hypocritical Pharisees He teased. When He comforted those of us who get too anxious, He told us in Matthew 6 how much God cares for us. So we should not worry about tomorrow. Then He couldn't resist adding a little pointed irony in verse 34, "Each day has enough trouble of its own." And calling Peter a "Rock" was probably irony. Over and over Peter proved he was anything but a rock when it came down to the clutch

He teases Nathaniel on their first meeting in John 1:47, saying "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false," as if all other Israelites were liars

Mark 7 gives us another example of how Jesus ironically teases others. It has always been difficult to understand how our Lord could be as cruel as He is verse 27 when the woman asks Him to deliver her daughter from a demon. He's only been healing Jews to this point, and He tells her "it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs"

The only explanation for Jesus' words is that they were said with a smile! What we cannot see is the playful expression which must have accompanied what sound like hard words. The woman got the Lord's joke. That's crystal clear in the fact that she responds with some wit of her own, "Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs". Jesus bantered with her and she bantered right back

That kind of banter and all our Lord's teasing is truly genius because it is both humorous and harmless. It's not malicious humour, Jesus is motivated by love and compassion with it

He kids the Pharisees and Sadducees so hard and pushes them so far for only one reason. He hopes by the lightness of humor to soften their hearts, to let them see themselves as others see them, to help them turn from their own righteousness to His perfect grace. His humor may sometimes be pointed, but only because the ultimate point is love. He wounds in order to redeem, IMO

[PeterTheAleut]

Jesus was not afraid to poke a little fun at others with His irony. It wasn't only the hypocritical Pharisees He teased. When He comforted those of us who get too anxious, He told us in Matthew 6 how much God cares for us. So we should not worry about tomorrow. Then He couldn't resist adding a little pointed irony in verse 34, "Each day has enough trouble of its own." And calling Peter a "Rock" was probably irony. Over and over Peter proved he was anything but a rock when it came down to the clutch

He teases Nathaniel on their first meeting in John 1:47, saying "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false," as if all other Israelites were liars

Mark 7 gives us another example of how Jesus ironically teases others. It has always been difficult to understand how our Lord could be as cruel as He is verse 27 when the woman asks Him to deliver her daughter from a demon. He's only been healing Jews to this point, and He tells her "it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs"

The only explanation for Jesus' words is that they were said with a smile!

Please be careful with such exclusive statements as "the only explanation is..."  You never know that someone may see this differently, or that you could just be wrong (no intent to say that you are).

What we cannot see is the playful expression which must have accompanied what sound like hard words. The woman got the Lord's joke. That's crystal clear in the fact that she responds with some wit of her own, "Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs". Jesus bantered with her and she bantered right back

That kind of banter and all our Lord's teasing is truly genius because it is both humorous and harmless. It's not malicious humour, Jesus is motivated by love and compassion with it

He kids the Pharisees and Sadducees so hard and pushes them so far for only one reason. He hopes by the lightness of humor to soften their hearts, to let them see themselves as others see them, to help them turn from their own righteousness to His perfect grace. His humor may sometimes be pointed, but only because the ultimate point is love. He wounds in order to redeem, IMO

Overall, I think you may be guilty of projecting your own limited experiences and what you would like Jesus to be onto our Lord.  There's nothing in the Gospels you quoted that even implies the correctness of your interpretation, although there's nothing that says explicitly that your interpretation is wrong.  I don't know that anyone can offer any more than mere conjecture, so your guess is as good as mine.

[Athanasios]

Hello,

Personally, I'm aware that there is nothing in the Gospels to indicate that Jesus ever laughed or smiled or otherwise "had a good time", but neither am I aware of anything in the Gospels that says definitively that He never did.

Wasn't Jesus' first public miracle making more wine for a wedding party? I can't imagine the Lord not having fun at His friend's wedding.

I can't imagine Jesus not smiling at the little children He called to Himself - "let the children come to me".

I can't imagine Jesus never smiling toward His mother and foster-father.

[Athanasios]

Hello,

Btw, should the "he" (in reference to Jesus) be capitalized? I used to do it, but not alot of people do...

I always capitalize non-first-person pronouns for God. It was pretty common, though still not universal, back a couple hundred years ago. It has almost universally fallen out of current usage (regrettably, I think). Besides showing respect, it also helps to inform the reader or pray-er of exactly Who is being addressed, especially if there are multiple groups each using their own pronouns.

The one that gets me is capitalizing the first-person pronouns for God. I know that some capitalize them; but for me, I always think that God being humble, wouldn't capitalize pronouns when referring to Himself.

Both are more a pious act than a usage of proper grammar. I also have not noticed this in any other language but English - though the Romance Languages usually capitalize the third-person formal pronouns, God or not.

[Alexius]

Hello,
I always capitalize non-first-person pronouns for God. It was pretty common, though still not universal, back a couple hundred years ago. It has almost universally fallen out of current usage (regrettably, I think). Besides showing respect, it also helps to inform the reader or pray-er of exactly Who is being addressed, especially if there are multiple groups each using their own pronouns.

The one that gets me is capitalizing the first-person pronouns for God. I know that some capitalize them; but for me, I always think that God being humble, wouldn't capitalize pronouns when referring to Himself.

Both are more a pious act than a usage of proper grammar. I also have not noticed this in any other language but English - though the Romance Languages usually capitalize the third-person formal pronouns, God or not.

Thanks!

[JoeS]

OK, then "He" it is...Thanks

I cant imagine Christ NOT smiling when He calls the little children unto Him.

How can anyone not smile at this?

Try not smiling when the little ones give you that great big grin, go ahead try.

JoeS

[username!]

Seeing that Jesus was both fully God and fully Man.......  mankind smiles!  Perhaps suggesting anything that might make Jesus seem as if he didn't experience the full range of human emotions could underscore the fact that he was fully man and fully God.

[PeterTheAleut]

I cant imagine Christ NOT smiling when He calls the little children unto Him.

How can anyone not smile at this?

Try not smiling when the little ones give you that great big grin, go ahead try.

JoeS

I, too, cannot imagine Christ not at least smiling when He sees the little children clamoring to be with Him, but I have to recognize that this is my own projection of my own understanding of human nature onto Jesus.  Such projections as this are hardly admissible as concrete evidence of a historical assertion, though, which is what I hope to make clear.

[Alexius]

I, too, cannot imagine Christ not at least smiling when He sees the little children clamoring to be with Him, but I have to recognize that this is my own projection of my own understanding of human nature onto Jesus.  Such projections as this are hardly admissible as concrete evidence of a historical assertion, though, which is what I hope to make clear.

How about while He was an infant? I'm sure Christ smiled just as many infants do...

[PeterTheAleut]

How about while He was an infant? I'm sure Christ smiled just as many infants do...

I'm sure we can speculate all day about such things as this.   My personal hypothesis is that He probably did.

[Alexius]

I'm sure we can speculate all day about such things as this.   My personal hypothesis is that He probably did.

Well, I think...yeah, you're right

[Fr. George]

I can't imagine Jesus not smiling at the little children He called to Himself - "let the children come to me".

I can't imagine Jesus never smiling toward His mother and foster-father.

Makes sense.

[TinaG]

I cant imagine Christ NOT smiling when He calls the little children unto Him.

I can't imagine we're having this conversation.  We could speculate on all kinds of human emotions and bodily functions by our Lord and Saviour (and I know I've wondered too), but I think it takes us away from the real power and dignity of the Incarnation.  Did Jesus _____?  Yes he did and let's move on.

[Fr. George]

I can't imagine we're having this conversation.  We could speculate on all kinds of human emotions and bodily functions by our Lord and Saviour (and I know I've wondered too), but I think it takes us away from the real power and dignity of the Incarnation.  Did Jesus _____?  Yes he did and let's move on. 

Ha ha ha.  Nice.
Look, we're not wasting too much time on this. Now, if it became a 10-page debate, then I'd see a place for this sentiment.  But someone asked a question, and we're trying honestly to answer it as best we can.  As long as it doesn't degenerate into "did Jesus go to the bathroom," or other such questions, we're okay.

[TinaG]

Ha ha ha.  Nice.
Look, we're not wasting too much time on this. Now, if it became a 10-page debate, then I'd see a place for this sentiment.  But someone asked a question, and we're trying honestly to answer it as best we can.  As long as it doesn't degenerate into "did Jesus go to the bathroom," or other such questions, we're okay.

Chastened and humbled - 

[Fr. George]

Chastened and humbled - 

It's okay - you shouldn't feel bad.  If we didn't have voices of reason like you on OC.net, we'd already have 50 threads devoted to questions like "did Jesus wash Himself."  I'm being serious.

[EofK]

^ LOL!

This reminds me of a story the pastor in my old Baptist church used to tell about a woman who was mortally offended when someone mentioned that Jesus was fully human, so he probably had zits as a teenager.  Her reaction was, "My Lord did NOT have acne!"  Hmm... well...

[Hopeful Faithful]

^ LOL!

This reminds me of a story the pastor in my old Baptist church used to tell about a woman who was mortally offended when someone mentioned that Jesus was fully human, so he probably had zits as a teenager.

Greetings Forum,

It truly is the Great Apostasy. As the Lord did not pollute His body with toxic chemicals or other poisonous and spiritually defiling things, which we in modern society do, He had nothing like zits. Washing with shampoo and such is likewise something forbidden to anyone sensitive to God. With all the fasting He did there was little need for any kind of bathroom, whatever you think of it. With all the LOL-ing here it is difficult to get a word in edgewise with this forum, but consider these...

St. Basil the Great said that the Lord Jesus Christ never laughed. In the eulogy for his sister Macrina, St. Basil said that one of her greatest virtues was that she rarely ever smiled. St. Basil says more, “The Christian ought not to...indulge in jesting. He ought not to laugh nor even to suffer laugh makers.”

St. Chrysostom said that the Lord nowhere laughed or even smiled, saying also that, “This world is not a theater in which we can laugh.” St. Chrysostom mentioned: “When you see persons laughing, reflect that those teeth that grin now will one day have to sustain that most dreadful wailing and gnashing.” Also we have this from St. Chrysostom: “Feet were made, not given for dancing, but to walk modestly, not to leap impudently like camels.”

Many people who had first hand, or very near first hand experience with the Lord, give us these examples. Such tradition should not be mocked. It was the Gnostic Christians who wrongly presented the Savior as having laughed. I can understand how some may feel compelled to laugh at what is absurd, absurdity is laughable. It is still all the better to exercise moderation in all things, even in such situations.

Any bible in the USA has hints of these truths.

Luke 6:25 “Woe unto you that laugh now! For ye shall mourn and weep.”

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

“Once, Blessed Sarah saw a young nun laughing, and said to her: Do not laugh, sister, because by this you chase away from yourself the fear of God, and are subjected to the mockery of the devil.” written by 4th century Abba Isaiah to the nun Theodora. From the book Matericon, page 40.

St. Ephraim the Syrian – “Laughter and familiarity are the beginning of a soul’s corruption. If you see these in yourself, know that you have come to the depths of evils. Do not cease to pray God that He will deliver you from this death...Laughter removes from us that blessing which is promised to those who mourn (Matt. 5:4) and destroys what has been built up. Laughter offends the Holy Spirit, gives no benefit to the soul and dishonors the body. Laughter drives out virtues, has no remembrance of death or thought of tortures” from the “Philokalia” Russian edition, Moscow, 1913: vol. 2, p. 448

Sts. Barsanuphius and John, 6th-century (Answer 451): “In the fear of God there is no laughter. The Scripture says of the foolish, that they raise their voice in laughter (Sirach 21:23); and the word of the foolish is always disturbed and deprived of grace.”

Ecclesiastes 2:2 I said of laughter – “Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

Ecclesiasticus 21:20 A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter; but a wise man doth scarce smile a little. v26 The heart of fools is in their mouth: but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.

I have more such references on my web page below.

Forgive, John Alden

http://MyMartyrdom.com/aac.htm

[prodromas]

Path of solitude meet Hopeful faithful you two will get on like a house on fire with your insightful interpretations of scripture.

[PeterTheAleut]

Path of solitude meet Hopeful faithful you two will get on like a house on fire with your insightful interpretations of scripture.

Actually, prodromas, the Patristic witness that Hopeful Faithful presented--though I wouldn't necessarily call it a consensus Patrum--regarding laughter is much stronger than you may think.  I wouldn't dismiss it so flippantly if I were you.


Hopeful Faithful, one CAN not smile and not laugh without also being a judgmental curmudgeon about it.

[JoeS]

Greetings Forum,

It truly is the Great Apostasy. As the Lord did not pollute His body with toxic chemicals or other poisonous and spiritually defiling things, which we in modern society do, He had nothing like zits. Washing with shampoo and such is likewise something forbidden to anyone sensitive to God. With all the fasting He did there was little need for any kind of bathroom, whatever you think of it. With all the LOL-ing here it is difficult to get a word in edgewise with this forum, but consider these...

St. Basil the Great said that the Lord Jesus Christ never laughed. In the eulogy for his sister Macrina, St. Basil said that one of her greatest virtues was that she rarely ever smiled. St. Basil says more, “The Christian ought not to...indulge in jesting. He ought not to laugh nor even to suffer laugh makers.”

St. Chrysostom said that the Lord nowhere laughed or even smiled, saying also that, “This world is not a theater in which we can laugh.” St. Chrysostom mentioned: “When you see persons laughing, reflect that those teeth that grin now will one day have to sustain that most dreadful wailing and gnashing.” Also we have this from St. Chrysostom: “Feet were made, not given for dancing, but to walk modestly, not to leap impudently like camels.”

Many people who had first hand, or very near first hand experience with the Lord, give us these examples. Such tradition should not be mocked. It was the Gnostic Christians who wrongly presented the Savior as having laughed. I can understand how some may feel compelled to laugh at what is absurd, absurdity is laughable. It is still all the better to exercise moderation in all things, even in such situations.

Any bible in the USA has hints of these truths.

Luke 6:25 “Woe unto you that laugh now! For ye shall mourn and weep.”

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

“Once, Blessed Sarah saw a young nun laughing, and said to her: Do not laugh, sister, because by this you chase away from yourself the fear of God, and are subjected to the mockery of the devil.” written by 4th century Abba Isaiah to the nun Theodora. From the book Matericon, page 40.

St. Ephraim the Syrian – “Laughter and familiarity are the beginning of a soul’s corruption. If you see these in yourself, know that you have come to the depths of evils. Do not cease to pray God that He will deliver you from this death...Laughter removes from us that blessing which is promised to those who mourn (Matt. 5:4) and destroys what has been built up. Laughter offends the Holy Spirit, gives no benefit to the soul and dishonors the body. Laughter drives out virtues, has no remembrance of death or thought of tortures” from the “Philokalia” Russian edition, Moscow, 1913: vol. 2, p. 448

Sts. Barsanuphius and John, 6th-century (Answer 451): “In the fear of God there is no laughter. The Scripture says of the foolish, that they raise their voice in laughter (Sirach 21:23); and the word of the foolish is always disturbed and deprived of grace.”

Ecclesiastes 2:2 I said of laughter – “Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

Ecclesiasticus 21:20 A fool lifteth up his voice with laughter; but a wise man doth scarce smile a little. v26 The heart of fools is in their mouth: but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.

I have more such references on my web page below.

Forgive, John Alden

http://MyMartyrdom.com/aac.htm

So, Christ had all the human traits except smiling?  Humans smile they laugh so why would Jesus be the exception? Anyway was anyone with Christ to make sure this did not happen? Hmmmmmmm?

[Hopeful Faithful]

The anceint rules for iconography forbid depicting saints smiling, for good reason. We should imitate them. Worldly cults like Walmart use smiley faces. For my part I do not want to follow their example. We all make our choices and judgments. In the days of this Great Apostasy I am not surprised to see such things. Christ specically did not appear at this time in human history, it would not have worked. It is quite clear where those of this world are going, we should all go the other direction. Call that curmudgeon if you want, but worldly practice is truly the evil hearted position.

The thread of questions directed to Hopeful Faithful regarding previous discussions have been given their own thread:

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,13399.0.html

- Cleveland, Global Moderator

[Heorhij]

BTW, regarding this thread... Do we actually know anything about the Jewish culture of Jesus's days on Earth? I am just reading Mikhail Bakhtin's great treatise on Rabelais, and it paints such a huge, broad picture of the Western European culture of the times of the late antiquity and early Middle Ages, with all this elaborate culture of carnival, Mardi Gras, "Soties" (sp.?), "Rhisus Paschalis," "Joca monacorum," etc. Bakhtin calculated that in early mediaeval European towns, people lived this carnival life for up to three months per each year. If life in Palestine in the first quarter of the first century A.D. was anything close to that, then our Lord, definitely, not only smiled, but also laughed profusely, shaking and holding His belly...  

[Νεκτάριος]

Does everyone know I was being sarcastic?

Sarcasm doesn't seem to go so well here...

[Ebor]

BTW, regarding this thread... Do we actually know anything about the Jewish culture of Jesus's days on Earth? I am just reading Mikhail Bakhtin's great treatise on Rabelais, and it paints such a huge, broad picture of the Western European culture of the times of the late antiquity and early Middle Ages, with all this elaborate culture of carnival, Mardi Gras, "Soties" (sp.?), "Rhisus Paschalis," "Joca monacorum," etc. Bakhtin calculated that in early mediaeval European towns, people lived this carnival life for up to three months per each year. If life in Palestine in the first quarter of the first century A.D. was anything close to that, then our Lord, definitely, not only smiled, but also laughed profusely, shaking and holding His belly...  

Yes, we know a good bit about life in Palestine and other parts of the Mediterranean area, and not just from the Gospels either.  However, drawing from those as well as the OT, there are numerous festivals and personal celebrations such as weddings.  Recall the Wedding at Cana for example, at which Our Lord was a guest.  Now thinking back to my own wedding, no one there was frowning and sitting sullenly.  Just a thought.

Ebor

[Jimmy]

It is just my opinion I guess but I can't imagine Jesus never smiling.  He is called the 'Lover of man' in the Byzantine liturgy(is it the hymn O Gladsome Light?). 

[Lightspeed1000]

Hi,
below is a passage from a Lives of Saints book about Saint Niphon ,Bishop of Constantiana.,

"In the morning he went to church;raising his eyes,he looked at the icon of the Most Holy Virgin Mary,Mother of God,and with lamentation cried out:"Have mercy on me,Intercessor of Christians,O Pure One Who heard the greeting Rejoice! Help me according to Thy great mercy,for thou art the hope and expectation of those who repent."

At these words of his,the image of the Mother of God smiled,and her face was joyful.
________

I Know the question was about Christ,but i just thought i would write this anyway.

[JoeS]

                                  Yes, Jesus Smiled


                      If Jesus was human smiling is part of the gig.

[Ian Lazarus]

Well, it's obvious.  He created humor and laughter.  Smiles are right up there with the good things in life.  The scriptures say be joyful, and joyful people smile.   

Tell ya what,  ask Him!