Today we move into the “New Life” section of the Bread and Wine reader. Today’s entry is part of the well-known poem entitled “The Everlasting Mercy” by former British Poet Laureate John Masefield. The poem tells of the hand of God seen in giving life to the dead and life to the crops in the field. In a highly Christoligical section the speaker praises the attributes of the risen Lord. One line in particular sticks out, “O Christ, the plough, O Christ the laughter.” Over the years I have seen and heard different references to the smile and laughter of Jesus. I’ll confess it’s still hard for me to hold His stern obedience and joyful laugh in proper balance in my mind’s eye. For example, when I read the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7 I picture a direct, almost stone faced lecture. When I try to picture, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” coming from the mouth of Jesus in a tender, caring demeanor I grow uncomfortable as though His teaching loses the intended force and importance. I know this is not the case but holding “Christ the plough (hard working, direct) and O, Christ the laughter (joy, ease of mind) together is not easy for me. It causes me to confess to the God of perfect balance that I am tempted to either be overly stern and rigid or careless and dismissive, the middle is hard. In His mercy Christ is patient with my out of balance view of Him and unbalanced expression of Him in my own life.
God has mercifully given to us and in response to that we give all of us to Him in a variety of ways. One way is seen in Malachi 3:8-12 as the people of Israel are called to tithe. The New Testament never negates the call for a tithe. It emphasizes that all giving is a matter of the heart in right relationship with God, “for He loves a cheerful (Christ the laughter) giver.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7