Listener named Tom writes in to ask this high bastard John, I recently read this quote from

the late Theologian Charles Hodg, who said quote, foolish talking and gesting are not

the ways in which Christian cheerfulness should express itself, but rather giving of thanks.

And then he cites Ephesians 5.4, religion is the source of joy and gladness, but it joy

is expressed in a religious way in thanksgiving and praise." Hodg seems to suggest the ideal

for the Christian life is zero humor because humor is an unfitting vessel for true joy.

All joy must come from thanksgiving and praise from God. This is of course extremely counter

intuitive, so the question is, is humor always sinful or pastor John, when does humor become

sinful?

Several things come to mind, maybe three or four. First, I look at these texts and I would

say that the passage in Ephesians that he's quoting does not exclude laughter and humor.

It says, let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place,

but instead let there be thanksgiving. So those words, filthiness, foolish talk, crude

joking. I looked at them in the Greek just to make sure that they don't exclude an

exuberance with life. In all of its unexpected, often humorous turns and the kind of sparkling

conversation that erupts from time to time with sidesplitting laughter. The verse doesn't

exclude that. And I think the reason thankfulness is given as an alternative to crude joking

and filthiness is that a heart that is humble enough to recognize that everything is a gift

and is full of thanksgiving to God is the kind of heart that just doesn't get ugly. It

doesn't do that sort of thing. There's something about a humble thankfulness that cleans

up the mouth. And if you just go a couple of verses earlier, to verse 29 of chapter four,

it says, and this is the criterion, I think, for what comes out of our mouth by way of humor.

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