What Are We Laughing At?

In John 15:11 we read, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” However, in Proverbs 14:13 we read, “Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.” One might be tempted to ask how scripture can contradict itself so openly. These texts are speaking about two different kinds of happiness; earthly laughter and spiritual joy. The first verse says “my joy,” referring to God’s joy and then speaks of our...