July 20, 2025 Text: Genesis 18:1-14
Dear Friends in Christ,
Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. In the short-term laughter stimulates intake of oxygen rich air, helps the heart, lungs, muscles, and brain. It cools down your stress response and gives you a good, relaxed feeling. Long-term laughter improves your immune system, relieves pain, helps cope with difficult situations and improves mood.
Today we are going to join Sarah in laughter. God doesn’t think it is all that funny. But why? Let’s smile at what the Lord can do as we are reminded . . .
“STRESS RELIEF FROM LAUGHTER? IT’S NO JOKE”
The phrase “last laugh” developed out of a play entitled, Christmas Prince, first performed in Cambridge, England in 1608: “He who laughs last laughs longest.” In 1924, a German film had the title Last Laugh. A doorman at a famous hotel is demoted to washroom attendant and suffers scornful laughter. But what happens is a wealthy patron dies in his arms in the bathroom and leaves his fortune to the demoted attendant, who gets the last laugh.
Before we get to the laughing in our text, let’s set the scene. Abraham believed what God had told him that he would be the father of many nations, but first he had to be a father. He laughed when God first told him, but he believed in joy it would happen. Three visitors come to Abraham. Who are they? One is the Lord, a preincarnate Christ, the other two are angels. Abraham serves as the host to these men. They need food and water because in the midday of the Middle East temps can reach 120 degrees. Abraham shows great respect.
But why did these men come? Because Sarah needed to hear God’s promise. Strangers normally would not inquire of one’s wife in this culture, but then, this is God who is inquiring! He wants to get Sarah’s attention.
God tells Abraham that him and Sarah will have a son. Sarah overhears and laughs. This is a cynical chuckle, like the pitcher who gives up three home runs in a row and just laughs because he can’t believe it. Sarah knows her age and post-menopausal condition. She thinks this is a joke. God notices. He asks Abraham why his wife is laughing. Then says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Well, is it?
Sarah had been beaten down. Trying and praying for decades to have a child. She observed other women having children, including her servant Hagar. She remained barren and became bitter. This affected how she heard God’s Word. She laughed at it.
Do you feel beat down by unmet expectations? Your marriage, children or other family members haven’t been what you hoped for? Your job, goals, and aspirations haven’t panned out? You’ve seen a healthy retirement ruined by injury or illness.
Like Sarah, we laugh at God’s promises. We question if God can work in our life. We think we know better than Him. Satan can have us questioning the promises of God.
There is no Word too wonderful for God. Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. God said “Let there be” and creation was formed out of nothing. God’s Word brought faith to Sarah. He confronts Sarah with her lying in verse 15. God’s Word brought not only conception but faith too. Listen to this from Hebrews: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” (Heb. 11:11). The child, Isaac, carried the seed of the Messiah, Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He would crush Satan’s head and bless all nations. Jesus perfect life has reconciled us to the Father. This should bring us joy and great laughter. It’s no joke, it’s stress relief.
A year ago, this God-ordained laughter gave some of us stress relief when we were stuck in the Charlotte airport on our way back from Germany. Six people were at O’Hare waiting, 10 of us were in Charlotte. From 2 p.m. to after midnight, we changed gates at least five times. People were everywhere. Our plane had to come from another city. Even when we boarded, we sat there for almost an hour. If you didn’t laugh at this point, you would cry. We had all been going for almost 24 hours. We finally lifted off, made it to Chicago and got the pleasure of seeing an empty airport in one of the busiest places on earth. The final laugh came later that day when we learned that the whole airport system was shut down because of a computer glitch. We had to be one of the last airplanes landing in the world that night. I say it all the time, God makes me laugh. What a blessing.
God’s promise came true. Then the laughter really came. Isaac was born, and his name means “he laughed” or “laughter”. We have been laughing with Abraham and Sarah ever since. Laughing for the wonderful and powerful message of God’s Word. That night in Charlotte we trusted God’s Word. God’s Word gets the last and longest laugh. That’s no joke.
Amen.