Sarcasm (discussion only, please)
Some in this forum frequently use sarcasm in their responses to posts they disagree with (yep, Im one) and others have said that sarcasm is not the Christian way to debate.
Question:
Can you think of instances in the Bible where people (e.g., Jesus) used sarcasm?
If I can say,
I think that when it comes to sarcasm, there needs to be some things in place to ensure that it will not be taken the wrong way.
Acts 2:41-43
The Fellowship of the Believers
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
44All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
Acts 13:52
And the disciples were
filled with joy and
with the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 13:51-52
Romans 15:4-6
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement
give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 5:24-26
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Ephesians 4:2-4/
2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spiritjust as you were called to one hope when you were called
5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:29-31/
Ephesians 4
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Ephesians 5:17-19 /
Ephesians 5
17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Sadly, some will only be content being RUDELY sarcastic rather than going the extra-mile and showing you care by"getting in the trenches" with each other offline and seeing how much people experience REAL life...
Additionally, it's hard to recieve sarcasm if/when it seems to be a fact that many of us can never laugh together----so doubtful many times that one can ever expect growing with each other together or reciecing points given with humorous sarcasm. Some things would be cured if we could all learn to not take things so seriously at times....and just chill, as many times it's really not that deep. And when it comes to being light-hearted, it's amazing to see how much more easier it is to get through life...and with people...
Proverbs 15:13
A happy
heart makes the face
cheerful, but
heartache crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:15
All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the
cheerful heart has a continual feast
Proverbs 15:30
A
cheerful look brings joy to the
heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
A
cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
If we're going to be sarcastic, fine---but there needs to be (and had BETTER be) signs of actually wanting to relate with each other, lift one another up in prayer and show we're really concerned in deeds rather than just in word. For how much sarcasm has to go one before we can actually lift one another up as we're commanded to in the Word (
Colossians 4:11-13 / /
Ephesians 6:17-19/ ,
John 13:1 ,
John 17:20-22 //etc)...or worship the Lord through our interactions by showing we're concerned for the parts of His body---and choosing to "weep with those who weep/rejoice with those who rejoice" (
Romans 12:14-16 /
1 Corinthians 12:25-27/ )?
Galatians 6:2
Carry each other's
burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore
encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:10-12
Hebrews 10:24-26/
4And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Also, something to consider...
Another thing to consider is that inbetween Paul correcting the Corinthians with HEAVY SARCASM (I Corinthians 4:8-13 ), NOTICE HOW HE APPEALED TO THEM ON THE BASIS OF ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP:
1 Corinthians 4:14-21
14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
In Pauls Day, a guardian was a slave who was assigned as a special tutor and caretaker of a child. And regarding Pauls imagery, he was portraying his special affection for the Corinthians (greater than a slave) and his special role (more than a caretaker). And even though the church was messed up/in need of heavy sarcasm/sharp words or mocking to a degree, none of those things were done without Paul appealing to his relationship with them.
By father he meant he was the churches founder
..and because of his willingness to take on/prove himself worthy of that FATHER role first in taking them under his wing, training them/investing in their lives rather than abandoning/manipulating them, as many people wouldve easily done,
He could be trusted to have the Corinthians best interests at heart, thereby making it apparent that his tough words were motivated by LOVEjust like the love a good father has for his children- rather than giving the impression that he was arrogant, smug and just being sarcastic/choosing tough words for the sake of it.
The same thing seems to be apparent in his second letter to the Corinthians, in which Paul responded to some attacks on his character & authority
.and displays him going into pain-staking detail to show how honest/straightfoward he was with them
.but later explains to them his heart.
Every church Paul was at, it seems He was actively invloved in their lives, and prior to that had been very compassionate/loving toward the,, so if he was sarcastic, it wouldnt of been that big of a deal. Also, it mayve been easier to accept for them
and I think the problem with sarcasm/sharpness and mocking is that many are comfortable simply using it continuously and PRIMARILY toward others while never addressing the love/relationship aspect first.
And lets face it: HOW MANY OF US REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER PERSONALLY OFF LINE THIS SITE?
As the OLD Proverb goes,
Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses