Not a Joke

Ben Fredericson @ Flickr

This is a joke: A preacher and a New York taxi driver who arrive at the pearly gates of Heaven at the same time and were greeted by St. Peter. The preacher struts up to the gates and announces to St. Peter, “I am here!” St. Peter seems a little less excited, and looks up in a book. There is uncomfortable silence. The preacher starts to get nervous. “Um… St. Peter?” St. Peter finally says, “well, okay. You’re in.” The gates open a crack and he squeezes in. This makes the taxi driver even more nervous, and he edges toward the gates. St. Peter strides out to meet him and shakes his hand. “What are you waiting for? We’ve been expecting you!” The gates open wide for the taxi driver. “But why am I … the preacher… I’m so confused.”

St. Peter says, “Are you kidding? When the preacher was preaching, people slept. But when you were driving, people prayed! And prayed hard! “

1) What is supposed to make this joke funny?



2) Unfortunately jokes like this get a lot of stuff wrong:
• What determines if we get into heaven?
• Is heaven a reward for a job well done?



3) Can you think of any movies or stories where there’s a reversal – you start to expect one thing and then another happens?

Fergal OP @ Flicker

Jesus lived in a culture that appreciated a good story. He taught in parables because this was a good way of teaching then, as well as now. The gospel we’re reading is not a joke, but it is a good story. With a hook, a reversal… a story-telling surprise.

The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:9-31 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’

4) What’s the twist?


5) What does the story get wrong?



6) What about the “punchline”: ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ What was Jesus telling them, that they didn’t know yet?



7) How could we update the Lazarus and the Rich man story for today?
There was a man who was so rich he…

At his gate was a poor man named Larry. He was so poor…

Larry died and the angels carried him to be with…

The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw _______ far away, with Larry by his side. So he called to him, ‘Have pity on me and send Larry to…

But ________ replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Larry received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides you can’t get from here to there because…

The rich man answered, ‘Then send Larry to …

Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
_______ replied, ‘They should listen to…

But the rich man said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ _______ said to him, ‘If they do not listen to …

they will not be convinced even if …


One more story from this week’s gospel:

Luke 18:9-14 Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

8) What’s the twist? What can we learn from it?


After this we'll play an adaptation of a classic card game.


Ruler and Peasant

Resources
JesusWalk studies had the connection with the joke.
Bible Study Tools connects scripture with all sorts of commentaries and references.