Ein Kamel durchs Nadelöhr?

The humor of Jesus exaggerates so that one can recognize the truth, it distorts so that one learns to see correctly, it makes the small great. Only in a few apocryphal gospels does Jesus himself laugh; otherwise, he brings people to laughter and thereby frees them from the labyrinth of their missteps. Jesus' humor stimulates the imagination, shows affection for animals, is sometimes grotesque, but never hurtful, sometimes mocking, yet not destructive, but enlightening. For Jesus' humor is the father of all his wisdom. The words and deeds of Jesus compiled in this book provide a unique and independent approach to Jesus. It is said that Jesus never laughed. He spoke of sin and grace, of God's kingdom and hell, none of which is funny or amusing. In any case, the New Testament does not report any laughter from Jesus. But is it really conceivable that Jesus traveled with his disciples, shared meals and drank wine, while laughter was forbidden? If the most unlikely scenario were true, that Jesus never laughed, there would still remain the question of how people reacted to his words and deeds. Between laughter, mockery, smiles, chuckles, and applause, there is a wealth of possible reactions. Klaus Berger finds an extraordinary approach to Jesus. Neither exegesis nor dogmatics have been able to bring him closer to Jesus in this way. He encounters Jesus anew: as if he were facing him directly while reflecting on these notes and reports, as a fellow human being, friend, or, with all due respect, colleague.