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S. Michael Houdmann
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Joking is an interesting topic and difficult to paint with one broad brush. Biblically speaking, joking itself is not regarded as sin, although in some instances, it certainly can be. Proverbs 18:2...
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Jeremy Marks
We often don’t recognise that Jesus had a great sense of humour. It was said of Jesus that “the common people heard him gladly” which suggests that as well as the immense wisdom and authority with which he spoke, he is likely to have had a lightness of touch and good humour that made what he had to say accessible to ordinary people. And because in today’s world we can all (most of us anyway) read for ourselves, we don’t pick up the humour of some of Jesus’ sayings in the same way as we would if we heard his words spoken aloud! Consider for instance Jesus’ words about the futility of trying to take a splinter of if somebody else’s eye without first taking the log out of your own eye! This is pure slapstick humour, yet communicating a profound message at the same time! Also looking at Matthew 23 - the discourse of woes to the Pharisees. When read off the paper, it seems terribly sombre; but try reading out aloud “Blind guides; you strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” is really a very funny illustration - but all the more memorable because of the humour. The study of humour in the Bible is a very worthwhile one.
Jack Gutknecht
Another verse on this topic of joking is Ephesians 5:4 "foolish jesting." There seems to be no end to the number of ways that men and women today can joke regarding things that are best left discussed in the privacy of the bedroom of a husband and wife. Kevin Cauley
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