2008
The Cosmic Joke Is On Us
An interesting article at Discovery News takes a look at ancient humor and religion.
One of Friedman’s favorite passages is the “Book of Jonah,” which, in the Jewish faith, is read each year on Yom Kippur. Jonah becomes such a successful prophet that people repent, fast and dress according to his guidance. “Even the animals fast,” Friedman said.
He explained that Jonah was meant to be a parody for readers.
“In effect, God is saying, ‘I sent the worst prophet I could find (Jonah) to the Assyrians, and he did not have to say very much, and they all repented. I sent numerous articulate prophets to the Israelites and they did not wish to change their idolatrous ways.”
“There is humor here, but the humor is used to deliver a very potent message,” he added. “The humor in the Bible has a purpose. It is used to mock the idolater and the wicked.”
Talk about missing the point. I agree that there is a lot of humor in the bible, but I just can’t agree that the story of Jonah is parody. It’s a demonstration that we are powerless on our own and that God works through us. It’s a reminder that the glory is His, not ours. If we think differently, the joke is on us.
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