We don’t go to scripture for laughs but maybe we should. Here are 4 of the Bible’s funniest moments

The so-called special relationship between the US and UK might be fracturing politically, but it’s alive and well in the world of comedy. After a trade surplus from our side, with the likes of The Office, Ghosts, and Veep (an adaptation of The Thick of It), the Americans have finally returned the favour, with the much-anticipated Saturday Night Live UK launching this past weekend. 

The sketch show is a cultural staple across the pond, launching the careers of comedic greats such as Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, and translating well into the digital space with billions of views. 

So, the first episode of SNL UK arrived with bated breath, and a sense that a lot of people expected it, or even wanted it, to fail. Much to people’s surprise, everything went relatively alright. Okay, so the Keir Starmer cold open dragged on, and Tina Fey’s opening monologue felt rather predictable (lots of jokes about an American not knowing British culture), but some duds aside, the show brought enough edge, British surrealism, and political punch to justify its existence. 

But if you find jokes about Prince Andrew a bit too risqué, then perhaps you’d prefer the silliness of Last One Laughing. The latest series sees another batch of British comics trying to survive six hours without even a mere titter, all under the watchful eye of Jimmy Carr. The show reminds you how comedy really is an art form, and just because you’re funny at your home group, doesn’t make you a professional. 

But have you ever laughed at the Bible? 

If laughing releases endorphins, builds social bonds, and reduces stress, then surely the Word of God might have some moments of hilarity for us to enjoy? 

Granted, it’s not the first place to go for some gags. But then again, things are never as funny after the fact. Have you ever tried retelling a hilarious moment to someone who wasn’t there? It’s never quite the same, is it? You just had to be there. What’s funny in one culture may not land in another. But perhaps, in context, we might find some comedic gold.

On that note, here’s my attempt at four Gospel giggles:

1. Deadpan Jesus 

To me, Jesus often sounds deadpan (before being raised back to life-pan?).

Countless moments recorded in the Gospels see him responding with humour drier than the Sinai desert. And like Father, like Son. In the book of Genesis 18, we find the Lord reminding Abraham and Sarah of their promised son. Proving she wouldn’t make much of a competitor on Last One Laughing, Sarah starts to nervously chuckle, asking, “Can I really bear a child when I am old?”. 

The Lord turns to Abraham to ask what’s with the laughter, and, even more embarrassed now, Sarah decides the best course of action is denial: “I did not laugh.”

“Yes, you did laugh,” comes God’s matter-of-fact response. Something about this interaction is humorous to me — partly it’s imagining how awkward it must have felt for Abraham watching his wife try to deny something that literally just happened to an all-knowing, all-seeing deity; partly it’s the pantomime-like back and forth; but mostly it’s because the chapter ends immediately with God’s “Yes, you did.” End of story, no further questions. 

2. Jonah(aha)  

Symbolic or literal, the book of Jonah is pure farce. A story of a man who believes you can physically run away from God (!) by jumping aboard a boat and waiting for it to all blow over. As we all know, Jonah’s calamitous decision eventually leads him to jumping ship and getting swallowed in the belly of a large fish. If the reluctant prophet were played by Rowan Atkinson, this would make for an excellent slapstick comedy. 

3. And the funniest disciple goes to… 

One of the all-time great comedy characters is Michael Scott from the US Office. The hapless, well-meaning boss is a highly frustrating watch, digging himself into endless holes and saying the thing you’re not supposed to say. He’s also totally lovable, wears his heart on his sleeve, and ultimately, inexplicably, rather good at his job.  

Okay, now read that description again, but replace Michael Scott with Peter the Apostle. Are you with me?! Look, I wouldn’t call Peter’s denial of Jesus particularly endearing, but other moments paint him as an affable, clumsy, and unintentionally funny fella: his melodramatic attempt at walking on water (Matthew 14); his totally unhinged decision to cut someone’s ear off before quickly being remonstrated by Jesus (John 18); and best of all, his proud, self-righteous claim that Jesus “shall never wash [his] feet!” followed by Christ’s sort of, “Yeah, I think I will, buddy, else you’ll have nothing to do with me.” 

4. Hee-haw!  

There are certain moments reading scripture that I’ve had to check I haven’t acquired a dodgy translation by accident. Reading about Balaam’s talking donkey is one of them. 

Let’s remind ourselves of the bizarre passage in Numbers 22:28: “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’”.

Now, if a donkey — or any animal, for that matter — started speaking in my native tongue, I’d hit the deck quicker than you can say King Balak.

Balaam, not so. Instead of assuming he might be hallucinating from the heat of the Jordan Valley, his immediate response was to violently threaten the donkey with a sword. The donkey, surprisingly measured, replies, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day?” (v.30). This steed even understands rhetorical questions! The whole affair is, frankly, ridiculous and made funnier in my mind because I can’t unhear the voice of Eddie Murphy’s irrepressible Donkey from Shrek. Balaam and donkey on another whirlwind adventure!