The Bible says, "There is a time to laugh" (Ecc.3:4). But when is that time? Is it OK to laugh in church? Is humour off limits when it comes to preaching?
Many are divided on this subject. For example, back in 1854, Alexandre Vinet said that humour should never be used when preaching. He said, "It is out of place in an assembly where grave subjects are treated." Austin Phelps, who lived about 50 years later, agreed, saying that the use of humor in a sermon would degrade the Bible. T. Harwood Pattison was also opposed to it, arguing, "Religion is too severe a matter to be treated in a trivial or jesting spirit." There are many today who believe this to be the case.
But of course there are just as many who would totally disagree with this point of view. James Burrell spent a whole chapter to humour in his textbook on homiletics. He supported his case by quoting great preachers who used wit as a means of getting their point across - men like Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Henry Ward Beecher and D. L. Moody. John Stott goes further. He cites Christ Himself as an example of one who used humour in preaching, saying, "It seems to be generally agreed that humour was one of the weapons in the armoury of the Master Teacher."
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That last quotation ought to put the matter to rest. After all, Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. Any other impression or opinion that we might have about God which doesn't line up with the perfect representation brought to us by Jesus Himself is a false image and should be demolished.
Yet, for some reason Jesus is portrayed as always pious, serious and sad. It is true that His teachings addressed serious issues, and that His mission climaxed in a sorrowful death. But He could never be described as a kill-joy or party-pooper. He was often at parties, and even did His first miracle at a party. (I think some would have preferred He turned the wine into water!) When that old familiar question is asked, "If there were ten characters from history you could invite to your party, who would you pick?" how comes Jesus is nearly always on the list?
Jesus had a great sense of humour.
What Was The Purpose Of Jesus' Humour?
But, as important as it is to enquire if Jesus had a sense of humour when on earth, it's just as vital to ask what the purpose of His humour was? In our culture we often use humour at the expense of others, i.e. to pay out on one another. But Jesus used humour to try to get us to laugh at ourselves.
In His day the trendsetters were the Pharisees, and self-righteousness was in vogue. The word 'Pharisee' means a separatist. The Pharisees were not only separated unto the Law, but separated from the general riff raff of society. They saw themselves as squeaky clean and wanted others to see them this way too. They were the 'super-spiros' of their time.
Jesus, no doubt, raised many laughs as He pointed out how the Pharisees carefully positioned themselves at the intersections of the busiest roads when they prayed, so that others would notice them. And how they sucked in their cheeks and whitened their faces when they fasted, so that they would be admired for their spirituality. And if they invited you around to their house for a meal they would draw your attention to the spice-rack, saying, "I have paid tithes for everything on that rack!" What was most tragic, though, is that the more they lifted themselves up and paraded their self-righteousness before others the more they cut others down with their judgmental, critical spirit.
Jesus used sayings which we are now so familiar with that we have forgotten to see the humour in them. But in His time, when everyone was trying so hard to keep all the rules, they would have cracked many up with laughter bringing much needed relief. He called them "Whitewashed tombs! A brood of snakes!" He said they, "Strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" And He told them to take the plank out of their own eyes before they attempted to remove a piece of sawdust from another person's eye.
Anyone who took themselves too seriously was a candidate for Jesus' jokes; and rightly so. Just as it wrong to joke about serious things, it is equally as wrong to take seriously that which is a joke! The message of Jesus' humour was, "Lighten up! You're not as good as you're pretending to be, and you don't need to be either. My righteousness covers all your sins, but you can't receive it if puff yourselves up."
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Some say humour is OK as long as we don't offend people with it. Well Jesus offended people - on purpose. On one occasion, after the Pharisees had got stuck into His disciples for not washing their hands before eating, Jesus said, "It's not what enters a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him." Let me paraphrase that - it's not our religious, traditional failings that offend God, but our self-righteous crap. When the Pharisees heard that, they went away offended.
Maybe you are offended too, because I just used the "c" word. Well, whatever word you choose to use for "what comes out of a man" when all is said and done that's all that self-righteousness is - piles of human excrement! So let's have a good old laugh at ourselves and snuggle back into the righteousness of Christ! (By the way, Paul used that description too, for self-righteousness - see Phil.3:8).
So there is a time to laugh. It's when we catch ourselves with an exaggerated sense of our own importance. In this context laughter is a form of repentance. It's a great way of saying, "Who am I kidding? I am not what I'm trying to make out to be. But Christ is all that God says He is - and I am complete in Him!"
Many are divided on this subject. For example, back in 1854, Alexandre Vinet said that humour should never be used when preaching. He said, "It is out of place in an assembly where grave subjects are treated." Austin Phelps, who lived about 50 years later, agreed, saying that the use of humor in a sermon would degrade the Bible. T. Harwood Pattison was also opposed to it, arguing, "Religion is too severe a matter to be treated in a trivial or jesting spirit." There are many today who believe this to be the case.
But of course there are just as many who would totally disagree with this point of view. James Burrell spent a whole chapter to humour in his textbook on homiletics. He supported his case by quoting great preachers who used wit as a means of getting their point across - men like Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Henry Ward Beecher and D. L. Moody. John Stott goes further. He cites Christ Himself as an example of one who used humour in preaching, saying, "It seems to be generally agreed that humour was one of the weapons in the armoury of the Master Teacher."
funny memes about college
That last quotation ought to put the matter to rest. After all, Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. Any other impression or opinion that we might have about God which doesn't line up with the perfect representation brought to us by Jesus Himself is a false image and should be demolished.
Yet, for some reason Jesus is portrayed as always pious, serious and sad. It is true that His teachings addressed serious issues, and that His mission climaxed in a sorrowful death. But He could never be described as a kill-joy or party-pooper. He was often at parties, and even did His first miracle at a party. (I think some would have preferred He turned the wine into water!) When that old familiar question is asked, "If there were ten characters from history you could invite to your party, who would you pick?" how comes Jesus is nearly always on the list?
Jesus had a great sense of humour.
What Was The Purpose Of Jesus' Humour?
But, as important as it is to enquire if Jesus had a sense of humour when on earth, it's just as vital to ask what the purpose of His humour was? In our culture we often use humour at the expense of others, i.e. to pay out on one another. But Jesus used humour to try to get us to laugh at ourselves.
In His day the trendsetters were the Pharisees, and self-righteousness was in vogue. The word 'Pharisee' means a separatist. The Pharisees were not only separated unto the Law, but separated from the general riff raff of society. They saw themselves as squeaky clean and wanted others to see them this way too. They were the 'super-spiros' of their time.
Jesus, no doubt, raised many laughs as He pointed out how the Pharisees carefully positioned themselves at the intersections of the busiest roads when they prayed, so that others would notice them. And how they sucked in their cheeks and whitened their faces when they fasted, so that they would be admired for their spirituality. And if they invited you around to their house for a meal they would draw your attention to the spice-rack, saying, "I have paid tithes for everything on that rack!" What was most tragic, though, is that the more they lifted themselves up and paraded their self-righteousness before others the more they cut others down with their judgmental, critical spirit.
Jesus used sayings which we are now so familiar with that we have forgotten to see the humour in them. But in His time, when everyone was trying so hard to keep all the rules, they would have cracked many up with laughter bringing much needed relief. He called them "Whitewashed tombs! A brood of snakes!" He said they, "Strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" And He told them to take the plank out of their own eyes before they attempted to remove a piece of sawdust from another person's eye.
Anyone who took themselves too seriously was a candidate for Jesus' jokes; and rightly so. Just as it wrong to joke about serious things, it is equally as wrong to take seriously that which is a joke! The message of Jesus' humour was, "Lighten up! You're not as good as you're pretending to be, and you don't need to be either. My righteousness covers all your sins, but you can't receive it if puff yourselves up."
funny memes in hindi
Some say humour is OK as long as we don't offend people with it. Well Jesus offended people - on purpose. On one occasion, after the Pharisees had got stuck into His disciples for not washing their hands before eating, Jesus said, "It's not what enters a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him." Let me paraphrase that - it's not our religious, traditional failings that offend God, but our self-righteous crap. When the Pharisees heard that, they went away offended.
Maybe you are offended too, because I just used the "c" word. Well, whatever word you choose to use for "what comes out of a man" when all is said and done that's all that self-righteousness is - piles of human excrement! So let's have a good old laugh at ourselves and snuggle back into the righteousness of Christ! (By the way, Paul used that description too, for self-righteousness - see Phil.3:8).
So there is a time to laugh. It's when we catch ourselves with an exaggerated sense of our own importance. In this context laughter is a form of repentance. It's a great way of saying, "Who am I kidding? I am not what I'm trying to make out to be. But Christ is all that God says He is - and I am complete in Him!"
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