No Joke

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO JOKE

Prov 26:18-19

18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows 19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

NIV

Who would play around with deadly weapons? A madman. It is sort of like taking a loaded shotgun and looking down the barrel to see if you can watch the buckshot coming up the barrel when you pull the trigger, or maybe more like taking a grenade and pulling the pin watching to see if the explosion will happen as fast it is says it does, while holding it in your hand. Madmen have no sense of right and wrong, no sense of the danger anything will cause them or others. We should include all of 2 Peter chapter 2 in order to get a real sense of these types of madman, but all that is compared to the person who deceives his neighbor than says he was just joking. Lies seem to better fit the word deceives. Yet the Hebrew word carries the meaning of delude or betray, which is basically lies. Playing a joke on someone and after seeing the pain it has caused then saying, “I was only joking” is not the way a believer would act. But it is this deception, this deluding, this betraying, and this lying which is far more than playing a joke on someone. This might be liken to living a life which is not the truth. Presenting an image of oneself that is not who we truly are is a form of deception. Sometimes that might not be hurtful to others, but if it were regarding something important and the truth came out, it might cause them some pain or suffering and then we simply push it if as just joking around. No, honesty as to who we are is always the way to go. That includes in our job applications, our business dealings and in our relationships both with those in the world and those in the church.

Eph 5:3-7

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.   6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

NIV

This lists sometimes get shorten by some, but the list reads:

Sexual immorality

Any kind of impurity

Greed

Obscenity

Foolish talk

Course joking

All these are out of place for a believer. So then let us not be like that, as well as not become partners with those who are like that. In addition we should not allow them to deceive us with their empty words. It comes down to being who we say we are all the time in every place or situation. Our life is not a joke.