Lately, I’ve needed a little extra laughter in my life. But with such serious stuff happening in our world, sometimes it feels like I need permission to know it’s okay to laugh and still take life seriously at the same time. Christians have a tendency to take our faith very seriously, but we are made in the image of a God who has a sense of humor, so I believe we should too. Today, I’ve invited Jake Doberenz to the blog to share about faith and humor. Jake is a writer, blogger, founder of a Christian media organization, and theology student who recently launched a new podcast about humor in the Bible. He’ll share more about his new podcast in a few minutes, so without further adieu, here’s Jake:

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For me, sometimes it is difficult to navigate social cues in a casual conversation. As the term “cue” implies, my next move is determined by what they say. Do I laugh, cry, shrug, or vaguely respond with the most versatile response: “yeah”? The worst is an off-hand comment from someone who doesn’t talk a lot. It’s hard to gauge their tone, whether they are serious or sarcastic. But since sarcasm is an art form many have taken to unprecedented levels, even with the ones you know the best you have to ask yourself: “Wait, was that sarcasm?”

Sometimes we run into the same problem with Scripture. Of course, when reading a text, you don’t have the benefit of tone—and in the Bible, you don’t even have emojis! You are left to decipher how to take the phrase based on the surrounding context or just your best guess.

Some people are uncomfortable seeing Scripture as anything less than serious in every verse. It’s as if we think we don’t have permission to react with any emotions besides reverence and respect. And for good reason! This isn’t just an average book—this is a witness to God’s revelation in the world. Yet the fact of the book’s nature should not prevent us from reacting appropriately. Sometimes, yes, sometimes we are supposed to laugh.

There is a surprising amount of humor in the Bible if we know where to look. We know laws guide how we live, letters encourage us in our walk with God, and narratives teach us what to do (or not to do). Humor, however, can also help us know God and learn about God. Since the Bible uses this tool, we as Christians can permissibly season our own evangelistic and educational content with comedy. Humor is, in fact, a helpful resource to talk about God.

 

When Scripture is Funny

Humor in the Bible isn’t exactly like it is today. Humor is pretty subjective, depending on your culture and taste. That’s why someone people can think a Will Ferrell movie is the best thing since sliced bread and others can’t stand it. But we can still find what we’d call humor—parody, satire, irony, surprises, and utter ridiculousness—in the pages of Scripture.

There are plenty of moments that shock us that have a bit of a humorous edge. For instance, God speaks through a donkey to get Balaam to listen. Ehud stabs a fat king, makes him defecate himself, and the sword doesn’t even go out the other side. Some youths make fun of Elisha’s baldness so he sends she-bears after them! Or Jonah, who is actually a terrible prophet because he doesn’t like to listen to God and he doesn’t care about people, gets swallowed whole by a big fish! While these might not be knee-slappers, and many of these are more in the category of “dark humor,” their weirdness certainly keeps your attention.

Scripture also uses parody. In Isaiah 44, God essentially makes fun of people who make idols. It describes how they build a god with their own hands, but then use the same wood for everyday activities—not realizing how silly it is for them to craft a god from average materials. “No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’” (Isaiah 44:19).

Jesus himself can throw down some good sarcastic comments. In John 10:31-32 we get this scene: “The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’” Ouch. Hey Jewish leaders, you want some ice for that burn? Especially to the religious leaders of the day, Jesus was prone to create colorful critiques and scathing sarcasm.

So while you can’t find slapstick comedy, uproariously hilarious routines, or knock-knock jokes, Scripture does have a few instances of humor here and there. These instances aren’t just for entertainment either! Scripture wasn’t written and compiled for mere entertainment—but to teach a lesson.

The Power of Humor

Scripture’s use of humor, though it is not exactly like humor today, gives us permission to use humor in service of our Christian mission. We can use it for many of the same reasons we find in Scripture. Humor, if used wisely, has a variety of uses. Below are a few of the following ways Christians today can sprinkle our communication with some creative wit:

 

“Sweetener” for Our Conversations

You’ve probably noticed preachers use jokes or humorous anecdotes in their sermons. These have the effect of “sweetening” their communications. It can soften the blow of hard teachings, make us more comfortable, or make us more receptive to the rest of what they say. Besides sermons, Christian comedians like Tim Hawkins or Jaron Meyers can help us laugh at ourselves as believers. Humor is generally a likable quality, so it helps our witness when people like us and associate positive feelings with us. Our quest isn’t for likeability, of course, but it can help our light shine to others when we’re able to laugh together.

The Bible often gets straight to the point and saves the jokes for later. Yet people like Paul adds in some sarcastic humor to not only get his point across but to make light of a tense situation. In Galatians, Paul is largely arguing against the so-called “circumcision party” who thinks all Christian males needed to be circumcised. After making his case, Paul says in Galatians 5:12, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” It’s funny because circumcision involves—well, uh, you know.

 

Points out the Surprises

When I preach and teach through a narrative text, I try to point out the surprising elements. As discussed at the beginning, sometimes people feel like they don’t have permission to have a gut reaction to the text. So I try to give permission for these feelings. For example, when I’ve taught about Elisha and the she-bears, I let them know that it’s okay to have such a reaction to youth’s punishment. Narrating this in a humorous way can point out the surprise in the prophet’s response and can help us walk through our own feelings.

Or take Jonah. I retold the story of Jonah in the first episode of my podcast The Bible…but Funnier (www.theophanymedia.com/bible-but-funnier/) to point out the facts you might miss on a casual reading. For instance, Jonah is a terrible prophet! He’s mostly trying to get out of doing his job and even when he does his job, he complains that God is merciful. In Jonah 5:2, after God spares Nineveh, Jonah says: “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” To translate, Jonah is complaining about God’s love! Now that’s comedy! The lesson in Jonah isn’t just about trusting God or listening to God, but about caring for others—which the caricature of Jonah demonstrates through his ironic lines.

 

Makes You Reconsider Your Opinion

Isaiah’s parody of idol-makers or Jesus’ question about which of his good deeds will condemn him to death both are great examples of humor used to make us reconsider our opinions or actions. Humor, especially satire, often takes things to the extreme. But in the “blowing up” of the scenario, we can realize that what we once thought logical is not really logical at all. Isaiah reminds people who worship idols that they literally just fashioned that god. Like, they literally just slapped some wood together and arbitrarily made it a god. Also, Jesus on more than one occasion throws down a comeback where the religious leaders against him have no response—oftentimes these are exaggerated or humorous questions. Humor can force us to think.

But we have to be careful with satire. Satire can be too extreme, too insulting, or too nonsensical. Christians should use sarcasm and satire wisely—and perhaps with fear and trepidation—because it can easily come off the wrong way. Those on the receiving end might miss the message. In Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, a Pharisee prays a prayer of thanks that he is not like the tax collector, while the tax collector laments his own sinfulness. If your takeaway is “Luckily, I’m not like that Pharisee!” then you have missed the point—the story was actually about you! Sometimes we see ourselves as the hero but a good dose of humor can put us in our proper place.

 

A Funny Faith

There is no call for every Christian to be hilarious. Something tells me that wouldn’t go over well at all. But for those with the gift of gap or an extra funny bone, it’s perfectly legitimate to utilize humor in service of the faith. That might look like a full-blown comedy routine, but more likely it looks like the occasional joke to build relationships, a hilarious retelling of a Bible story to bring to the surface some of the themes, or a funny tale that’s secretly a life lesson.

Humor, like all of God’s creation, can be used in service of both good and evil. For Christians though, we can redeem the skill. It can exist in our evangelistic toolbelt, Bible teaching set up, or just in our daily lives. Yes, we can use humor to talk about God.

 

 

 

 

Jake Doberenz is a writer, podcaster, student, and minister. He is the founder of Theophany Media (www.TheophanyMedia.com) which is a Christian media organization that explores the relationship between faith and creativity. With Theophany Media, he hosts a podcast called The Bible…but Funnier (www.theophanymedia.com/bible-but-funnier/). Occasionally, he blogs at www.JakeDoberenz.com. Jake, who has almost completed his Master of Theological Studies from Oklahoma Christian University, lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and their cat.