Sarcasm

We are in John 7:25-29. Some Scriptures to be understood require we use the right voice inflection when reading it. Words are not always to be taken at face value. The meaning is often in the tone of the statement. So when the crowd is talking about Jesus what tone are they using? I believe they speak with sarcasm. Sarcasm has a place in human discourse. Read Paul, especially in 1 & 2 Corinthians. He knows how to be sarcastic. It is effective for making certain points. But, at other times sarcasm is merely a way of appearing superior to others. It shows that we think others are idiots and we are pretty smart. Sarcasm can have a nose to look down. On this occasion the crowds were merely showing their ignorance. "Is this not the man they are seeking to kill?" Remember Jesus is the one who said that He was a marked man. He is the one who pointed out the plot to kill Him. He is the one who believes He has a red bulls eye taped to His back. Yet He stands here publicly, and not only is He not being killed, the Jewish authorities are not even talking to Him. So where is the danger? It seems that the leaders could care less about Jesus. In this context their statement drips with sarcasm.

They follow with, "The rulers do not really know that this the Christ, do they?" More sarcasm. In other words, "These mean old rulers who want to kill Jesus just don't know that they are plotting to kill such an important man, even the Christ/Messiah, do they?" These stupid rulers! But, did they really feel that way about their rulers. Or did they place a lot of trust in them to weed out the impostors from the True Messiah when He did come? To bolster their case they lay out a bogus premise, which is a standard practice for those who do not know what they are talking about. The premise is :No one will know where the Christ comes from. We know where this man comes from. Therefore, this man cannot be the Christ. Be careful how you argue your case. Later in John 7:40-44 others in the crowd seemed to know a lot more about the Messianic origins. The crowd needed to get their arguments coordinated. (Yes, I am being sarcastic). Sarcasm often rests on false arguments and premises. The way to combat sarcasm is to test the premise on which it rests, and it always rests on some premise that the speaker believes should be self-evident. Everyone is right until questioned. Sarcasm can be abrasive and offensive. It can shut down discussion, but it doesn't have to. It didn't in this case. Jesus pressed His case with truth. He challenged their premise. The answer to sarcasm is truth, a statement of fact. Be careful not to fall into the chasm of sarcasm.