Play

THURS., JULY 8, 1982, 5:35 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your Workshop today will focus on play and use of leisure time, so you should know something of how this relates to Me, o faithful son. (You made your commitment and you kept it. I tested you, and you came through, even as I made it a bit difficult, and as you were somewhat less than attentive.)

Yes, there is a parallel here with My teachings in relation to My sense of humor. The Scriptures do not directly indicate that I have a sense of humor or that I play. It seems as though I am all seriousness and all business. Not so. Again the parallel holds. If play is an important part of the life of you humans, then it is either “of the devil” (something I did not initiate and of which I do not approve) or it is part of your “being made in My image”. You would surmise from what I have said thus far that it is the latter.

As Jesus I lived in the earth as a model for human life, but the Scriptures do not focus on play as a part of My life. I sometimes regret that the Scriptures were written in so utterly serious a tone, but it seemed important if they were to become the respected Scriptures they needed to be. As Jesus I did have some times of play which just were not recorded… or recorded as such.

For instance it is recorded that I walked on the water. It is presumed by most that I was seriously showing forth the power of God over gravity and the normal actions of nature. Actually I was having fun with that power, just as a human might have fun doing a magic trick. It was fun to stride across the waters and fun to have Peter try it also. He failed when he didn’t have sufficient faith AND because he didn’t approach the opportunity with a spirit of fun.

You have heard the story that at the Last Supper I was having fun… that I played the lyre and sang. That is true. While it had a serious quality, that which was to be the last gathering for the thirteen of us, it also was a time of fun. We had had some good times together. We would all be together again… we would be separated only by a bit of earthly time. So why not sing and laugh and have fun?

John the Baptist was a good man and a friend, but he didn’t have much fun. Some felt that he was a better model than I because I sometimes ate and drank and had fun with common people, even recognized sinners. So My story was not told this way. Religion is a serious business.