I was reading an article about writing comedy. One of the keys to humor is to say the opposite of what is being said. You see, laughter comes from surprise. Comedians know this and weave surprise into their punch lines.
Being the biblical person that I am, I began to realize that Jesus frequently spoke truths that were totally opposite of what the religious leaders of his day taught.
For instance, Matthew 5:43 & 44 says,
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies!”
The locals must have been thinking, “Love your enemies, Jesus, you’ve got to be joking! Have you been sniffing frankincense?”
This idea was the exact opposite of the Jewish mindset of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They may have laughed in shock. Jesus was the shock prophet/comedian of his day.
Here’s another startling statement by Jesus. Jesus spoke about keeping their hearts from lust and adultery.
Matthew 5:29a “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee.”
Can you imagine the nervous laughter that arose from the surrounding folks? Amazingly, his best audience was the lowly common people. The religious leaders and priests hated him. Jesus confronted religious hypocrisy with surprising truth that shook the foundations of his society and culture.
Let’s follow Jesus’ example and shake up our culture with the astonishing truths of the gospel.
Being the biblical person that I am, I began to realize that Jesus frequently spoke truths that were totally opposite of what the religious leaders of his day taught.
For instance, Matthew 5:43 & 44 says,
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies!”
The locals must have been thinking, “Love your enemies, Jesus, you’ve got to be joking! Have you been sniffing frankincense?”
This idea was the exact opposite of the Jewish mindset of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They may have laughed in shock. Jesus was the shock prophet/comedian of his day.
Here’s another startling statement by Jesus. Jesus spoke about keeping their hearts from lust and adultery.
Matthew 5:29a “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee.”
Can you imagine the nervous laughter that arose from the surrounding folks? Amazingly, his best audience was the lowly common people. The religious leaders and priests hated him. Jesus confronted religious hypocrisy with surprising truth that shook the foundations of his society and culture.
Let’s follow Jesus’ example and shake up our culture with the astonishing truths of the gospel.