My daughter, now grown, teased me a couple of phrase I often used to correct her when she spoke unkind words. Reciting the primary portion of Ephesians 4:29, I’d say, “Do not let any unwholesome words come out of your mouth.” Although the statement stopped her behavior, it also left her confused. All her little girl brain understood was that she’d said something I didn’t like.
Her response to my not-so-clear request, in some ways, mirrors my early interactions with God. In my sincere desire to please Him, I spent far an excessive amount of energy focused on dos and don’ts without tending to the center from which my attitudes, actions, and salty or clever quips got here. Those with an analogous mentality might call sarcasm sin, and when used to harm, I’d agree. But can one use the linguistic device for good?
According to biblical examples, yes.
How Did Jesus Use Sarcasm?
If you’ve watched the Chosen series or the Passion movie, you may have found the filmmakers’ portrayal of Jesus surprising. He’s not depicted as an almost docile-appearing shepherd carrying a lamb on His shoulders. Nor will we see an indignant man demanding respect and obedience. Instead, the producers captured God the Son’s humanity and, at times, playfulness.
This representation feels consistent with the Messiah revealed within the gospels. Jesus was greater than a miracle employee who knew and conveyed the deep truths of His Father. He spoke with the authority of One who understands reality because He defined it. He also demonstrated a fast wit that silenced the religious power players, awed the masses, and certain provoked just a few chuckles.
Matthew 12 tells us of a time when Jesus led His disciples through grain fields. This occurred on the Sabbath, a day for which the Pharisees outlined 39 prohibitions, including plucking grain. Therefore, they became upset when the hungry disciples began to choose and eat heads of grain.
“Look!” they exclaimed. “Your disciples are doing what’s illegal on the Sabbath.” – Matthew 12:2 NIV
Notice how Jesus responded. “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?” (V. 4, NIV). He then explained a biblical account the religious leaders would’ve known well.
To catch the irony in Jesus’ words, we’d like to grasp the attitude of those with whom He was speaking. The Pharisees prided themselves on their superior understanding of Scripture. First, their culture dictated that every one Jewish males memorized large portions of the Torah, the primary five books of the Old Testament. People expected way more from the religious leaders. Historians tell us the Pharisees memorized the whole Torah. That’s 79,980 Hebrew words—committed to memory. They also assumed the authority to preserve and interpret Scripture.
They viewed themselves as Bible experts. Considering this, are you able to envision how Jesus’ words might need hit? His statement can be similar to asking a mechanic in the event that they realized a vehicle needed gas to run.
We see one other example of Jesus’ use of irony in John 10. This occurred a couple of yr into His earthly ministry. His teaching and miracles drew large crowds and created increased hostility from His enemies. After making a transparent claim of divinity, His Jewish opponents picked up rocks to stone Him.
In verse 31, He responded, “I even have shown you a lot good works from the Father. For which of those do you stone me?” (NIV).
This can be the equivalent of a husband stating to an indignant wife, “So you’re upset that I sacrifice sixty-plus hours every week to offer for this family?”
The Bible records one other clever retort in Luke 13. In verses 31-32, we read:
At that point ,some Pharisees got here to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go some place else. Herod desires to kill you.”
He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I’ll carry on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day, I’ll reach my goal.’ In any case, I need to press on today and tomorrow and the subsequent day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! (NIV, emphasis mine).
This instance is best understood in light of the cultural context. As writer and pastor Jayson D. Bradley wrote:
“This line wasn’t only a burn. It was a sobering commentary on the religious and political corruption of the time. Jesus was fully aware of the associated fee of His mission, and His sarcasm underscored the tragic irony of a city meant to represent God’s presence turning right into a graveyard for prophets” (Relevant Magazine).
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tim Robberts
