James Duff April 30th 2017 ~ Humour

Let me preface this musing by saying it is just that, a musing.  I hold much of what I have written lightly but I have never been so serious in my short life about hoping it gives you a laugh or at least a smile.I often relax by listening to different Christian apologists and theologians.  I even listen to them before I go to sleep.  I recommend you give it a go if counting sheep is failing.  Ravi Zacharias is a world leader when it comes to defending the Christian faith but he is also very funny.  I heard one of his jokes this week that I thought you might like. There was an Aussie on a flight from Perth to the US.  As he boarded the plane he found himself next to Albert Einstein.  Einstein turned to the Aussie and said, “We have a long flight ahead of us; would you like to play a game to fill in the time?”The Aussie responded with “OK”Einstein said, “The game goes like this: I ask you a question, if you can’t answer it, you have to pay me $5.  You then can ask me any question and if I can’t answer it I will pay you $500.”After some thought and calculations the Aussie said, “OK.”Einstein asked his first question, “Exactly how far away is the moon from earth?”The Aussie responded, “No idea,” and handed his $5 over to Einstein. The Aussie then asked his question, “What climbs the mountain with 3 legs and comes back down with 4?”Einstein after thinking deeply responded, “No idea” and paid the Aussie $500.  Einstein, before asking the next question, probed the Aussie for the answer, “What does go up the mountain with 3 legs and comes down with 4?”The Aussie replied, “No idea,” and handed over $5. Not much is written about Jesus using humour but I think he did.  An author named Elton Truebold wrote a book titled The Humour of Christ, published in 1964.  He says, “Christ laughed, and .  .  .  He expected others to laugh.  .  .  A misguided piety has made us fear that acceptance of His obvious wit and humour would somehow be mildly blasphemous or sacrilegious.  Religion, we think, is serious business, and serious business is incompatible with banter.” Truebold and other scholars point to Jesus’ use of hyperbole and some of his scathing remarks to and about the Pharisees as indications of his wit and humour.  One example is the ridiculous notion of a camel being able to fit through an eye of a needle.  I think he would have got a laugh for that one.  Calling Pharisees a “bag of snakes” and calling their fathers the devil (John 8:44) might have got a few chuckles from Gentiles and sinners. Many of you may know that I tried not to use any humour when leading services during Lent this year.  I failed.  There is of course a time for weeping and a time for laughing (Ecclesiastes 3:3).  I’m greedy; I like both at the same time.  There is nothing better than laughing so hard you cry.  I will pray that you have much joy and a good laugh this week. Blessings,James