Psalm 37:12-13 Laugh with the Lord

I love the limited TV series, The Chosen. It's a dramatized telling of the life of Jesus and his followers. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it.

One of the best features of the show is its portrayal of Jesus' sense of humor. I've always pictured Jesus and his disciples as being much like any close knit group of guys, including a fair amount of friendly joshing and laughing. That's exactly the way they're portrayed in the Chosen. 

Most men pick up their sense of humor, for better or worse, from their fathers. Dad jokes get passed along from generation to generation, exasperating wives and children. I was perpetually perplexed by my own dad's favorite joke ("What's the difference between a duck?"), but I faithfully passed it along to my own boys. Mercifully, I think the legacy stopped there.

It should be natural for us to imitate our heavenly Father's sense of humor. The more my heart becomes like God's heart, the more I'll laugh at the same things he laughs at.

By the same logic, the less my heart is aligned with the Father's, the less I'll be able to laugh at the sort of things - and people - he laughs at.

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
Psalm 37:12-13

Beginning at this point in Psalm 37, David shifts toward describing the way the wicked people of the world react to disagreements and conflicts, and contrasting that with the way righteous people ought to approach those situations.

He begins with a comparison that prompts this question:

Why do so many Christians get so worked up about the goings on of governments and political leaders and the results of elections?

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,  “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”   

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (Psalm 2:1-4)

If God thinks so little of them, why do we get so worked up about them?

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ (Luke 4:5-8)

Notice, Jesus doesn't dispute Satan's claim to having been given all the authority of nations and the rulers of nations.

It's an interesting claim, especially considering the logical next question: If that authority has been given to Satan, who gave it to him? There's really only one logical answer to that question.

God thinks so little of the power of nations and rulers, he's delegated that insignificant part of the world to Satan.

Let Satan have the politics. God and His people have the gospel.

Looked at that way, Jesus' reply to Satan could be read as having a double meaning.

• No, Satan, I won't worship you. As the Son, I will only worship the Lord my God and serve him only."
• Anyone who worships the Lord and serves him should be careful to not elevate concerns about the nations and rulers and all their authority (i.e., politics) above concerns about glorifying God and sharing the gospel.

Go ahead, have and share political opinions. Every Christian is free to be involved in politics and government. Every Christian is free to hold opinions (although nowhere in the Bible are we told we have to have an opinion on every topic, nor are we ever commanded to share what we think about every topic).

But keep such things in perspective. God has given the kingdoms and the kingdom authorities over to Satan. Followers of Jesus should make the same choice He did: worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.