Acts Of Comedy
It has been a while since I posted anything and for that I certainly apologize. Many things have happened since I last posted. I have a girlfriend now. Her name is Esther. We've been dating for about six months now (new record for me). I've been with Holiday Hill Baptist Church for nine months now and have simply enjoyed it. Quite a few friends have been engaged, married, and/or having kids…of course, adding no pressure on me =P
Yes, things have certainly been changing.
Since March I have been leading a college Bible study on Tuesday nights. We started by searching scripture and discovering what it means to be a part of a Christian community. We continued in that spirit and started doing a study through the book of Acts. I did a Bible study through Acts once before, previously with a men's Bible study group in Texas. What I learned then is what I'm being reminded of now – the book of Acts has a TON of humor that gets overlooked!
Remember that when reading a narrative like Acts we are not dealing with just some fairytale stories created by the whim of an artist. We're dealing with real accounts of real people doing real things. The apostles were regular people. Regular people can be funny. The apostles were funny. Don't believe me? How many mission trips did you ever go on that didn't have some kind of funny story to tell? Reread some stories in the book of Acts.
Acts 1: We are told the story of Christ's ascension and how the disciples, after Christ has already left, are still standing there looking up at the sky. Two angels show up and ask them, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" The angels knew full well why they're staring into the sky. The angels used sarcasm. I just wonder how long the angels stood there watching them before they said something.
Acts 12: King Herod arrests Peter with the intention of having Peter put on trial and put to death. An angel appears, frees Peter, and leads Peter out of the prison undetected by the guards. What I find interesting is verse 7 where the angel hits him on the side. Why hit him? It isn't like he did anything wrong. Why not touch his shoulder? Why not shake him a little? Why not just call out his name? Why did the angel tell Peter to be quick when it's obvious there was powers being used that forbid the guards from ever seeing them? Part of me thinks the hit on the side didn't happen until multiple tries to wake him up failed. Think about it. If you have ever had to deal with a heavy sleeper drastic measures (yelling in their ear, using a bullhorn, pouring cold water on them…not that I ever did any of those) usually aren't executed until multiple failed tries.
Acts 16: Starting in verse 16 the pronoun "we" is used with respect to Paul and Silas's travels. It is believed that Luke, a close associate of Paul, wrote the book of Acts and traveled with Paul from time to time. Apparently the beginning of this story is one of those times. Luke was with Paul and Silas; however, when Paul casts an evil spirit out of a slave girl who was making her owners lots of money, it is ONLY Paul and Silas who are thrown in prison. Silas didn't do any demon casting out. Silas was guilty by association. So what happened to Luke?! He was with them. Did he run and get away or did he deny that he ever knew those guys? Did Luke actually ditch his friends? It gets overlooked, but something tells me there's more to this story than Luke wants to let on.
Again, the book of Acts is stories about real people. Those are just a few things I found to be a little funny. Is it wrong to think God has a sense of humor? I sure hope not. What are some things in the Bible that strike you as funny? Is there a story everyone reads but takes for granted and as a result something comical gets overlooked?
Yes, things have certainly been changing.
Since March I have been leading a college Bible study on Tuesday nights. We started by searching scripture and discovering what it means to be a part of a Christian community. We continued in that spirit and started doing a study through the book of Acts. I did a Bible study through Acts once before, previously with a men's Bible study group in Texas. What I learned then is what I'm being reminded of now – the book of Acts has a TON of humor that gets overlooked!
Remember that when reading a narrative like Acts we are not dealing with just some fairytale stories created by the whim of an artist. We're dealing with real accounts of real people doing real things. The apostles were regular people. Regular people can be funny. The apostles were funny. Don't believe me? How many mission trips did you ever go on that didn't have some kind of funny story to tell? Reread some stories in the book of Acts.
Acts 1: We are told the story of Christ's ascension and how the disciples, after Christ has already left, are still standing there looking up at the sky. Two angels show up and ask them, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" The angels knew full well why they're staring into the sky. The angels used sarcasm. I just wonder how long the angels stood there watching them before they said something.
Acts 12: King Herod arrests Peter with the intention of having Peter put on trial and put to death. An angel appears, frees Peter, and leads Peter out of the prison undetected by the guards. What I find interesting is verse 7 where the angel hits him on the side. Why hit him? It isn't like he did anything wrong. Why not touch his shoulder? Why not shake him a little? Why not just call out his name? Why did the angel tell Peter to be quick when it's obvious there was powers being used that forbid the guards from ever seeing them? Part of me thinks the hit on the side didn't happen until multiple tries to wake him up failed. Think about it. If you have ever had to deal with a heavy sleeper drastic measures (yelling in their ear, using a bullhorn, pouring cold water on them…not that I ever did any of those) usually aren't executed until multiple failed tries.
Acts 16: Starting in verse 16 the pronoun "we" is used with respect to Paul and Silas's travels. It is believed that Luke, a close associate of Paul, wrote the book of Acts and traveled with Paul from time to time. Apparently the beginning of this story is one of those times. Luke was with Paul and Silas; however, when Paul casts an evil spirit out of a slave girl who was making her owners lots of money, it is ONLY Paul and Silas who are thrown in prison. Silas didn't do any demon casting out. Silas was guilty by association. So what happened to Luke?! He was with them. Did he run and get away or did he deny that he ever knew those guys? Did Luke actually ditch his friends? It gets overlooked, but something tells me there's more to this story than Luke wants to let on.
Again, the book of Acts is stories about real people. Those are just a few things I found to be a little funny. Is it wrong to think God has a sense of humor? I sure hope not. What are some things in the Bible that strike you as funny? Is there a story everyone reads but takes for granted and as a result something comical gets overlooked?
posted by Trigun at 9:22 AM
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