[SIZE=medium]Is there anywhere in scripture where the preacher/teacher/prophet was trying to get his audience to laugh?[/SIZE]
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Its tough to tell because we are reading it and not hearing it. A lot of times comedy is in the way something is said, not necessarily what was said. Ecc 3:4 says there is a time to laugh and Pro 17:22 says a merry heart is like medicine. In any sense, I find some things in the Bible very funny. A few examples:[/SIZE]
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- Balaam and his talking [donkey]. The KJV doesn't say "donkey", but when you read it, the story comes off funny as a comedy of errors. Did you ever consider that Balaam was so angry he never even stopped to wonder how it is that an animal was talking to him? (Num 22)[/SIZE]
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- Moses argued with God. Now, it doesn't seem funny at first... But if you look at the conversation Both the Lord and Moses keep saying "they're your people". It seems funny to me that neither of them wanted to claim the stiffnecked people. God said, "Moses, they are your people!" Moses said, "No, they are your people!" (Exo 32)[/SIZE]
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-Elijah mocked the priests of Balaam. I'm sure he had a good ole time doing it. I get the sense that he thought it was funny. He certainly threw in some zingers (1 Kings 18:27)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Did Jesus ever try to get His audience to laugh?[/SIZE]
Again, it's tough to tell, because we weren't there to hear the delivery, but I think so. Look at John 1:45-48. Philip tells Nathaniel that Jesus has come from Nazareth and he seems pretty excited about it. Nathaniel sloughs it off and says "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Now, when Jesus sees Nathaniel he says, "Behold and Israelite who has no guile!" Obviously Jesus knew Nathaniel kind of mocked his upbringing (being from Nazareth). It may be just me... But I think that might have been meant to bring a chuckle to those around him.
Another example is Matt 6:34... Jesus said take no thought for tomorrow, for it will take care of itself, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof [paraphrasing]. It's a pretty curious verse that I can only conclude that Jesus is saying, "Don't worry about your future, You are going to have battles! Worry about them when they come!"
It may be my quirkyness, but I find these things pretty funny. And again, it depend on the delivery. That's not to say that there isn't an important message (even a grave message, as with the OT examples I talked about earlier). But it seems to me that God has a sense of humor. He has an intense anger at times, so why wouldn't he have a sense of humor at other times.
One more thing on this question.... The Bible says the common people heard him gladly (Mark 12:37). If that is so, would common people like to laugh? Even if there is no joking in the Bible, I have to think Jesus told a joke or two while hanging out with the crowd that wasn't reported. He was, after all, human.
[SIZE=medium]Is trying to make your audience laugh, also making lite of the subject?[/SIZE]
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Maybe. But you can make a joke and take your situations seriously at the same time. Have you ever seen the movie "300"? It is about the 300 Spartans at the battle of Thermopolie (sp?). The movie obviously has a lot of made up stuff, but one line historians said was true is when the Persians said we will blot out the sun with our arrows, the Spartans said, "Then we will fight in the shade!" Well, the Spartans were looking at death and they knew it. But they still found comfort in a comical statement. [/SIZE]
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I am very wary of religious jokes, but there are a couple I like:[/SIZE]
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1. A minister plays hooky from his Sunday sermon. Calls in sick, gets someone to fill in for him and goes to play golf. He scores a 60 (2 under par), sinks a hole in one, sinks a 40 foot putt and delivers a chip shot out of the sand bank that lands 6 inches from the hole. Peter and God are watching from heaven and Peter says, "God, you let him do that? He skipped Church and lied about it!" God just chuckles and says, "Yea... But who is he going to brag about it to?"[/SIZE]
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2. Rich man dies and goes to heaven. Asks Gabriel if he can bring just one bag with him, and Gabriel agrees to let him. So the rich man packs his bag with gold. God greets him, looks in the bag and says, "Pavement? We don't need anymore pavement!" [/SIZE]
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Well, I thought they were funny, but there's an important point to both of them. [/SIZE]
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In short, I think the answers to the rest of your questions are obvious, at least as far as my opinion goes. Tex Schamm was a football coach for the University of Texas. I heard a speech by him once (on audio tape) in which he used a lot of jokes to make some important points. The tape was 45 minutes long, but I remember only two stories he told: both of which were long, funny stories. But I remember those points. [/SIZE]
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Can you overdo humor in teaching God's Word? I think so. I don't think a preacher should ever use the pulpit as a comedy routine, but that doesn't mean he can't ever use comedy. To conclude, I again reference Ecc 3:4. There's a time for all things.[/SIZE]
pom2014 said:
Using humor is fine.
But not in revealing scripture nor in putting down people for their beliefs whether you believe their thoughts or not.
No matter what we're still under the command of love.
pom2014, did you read my post and what Elijah did? Did he love the priests of Baal or did he mock them, make fun of them and then kill them? Does not the Bible say we aren't to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5).
