Finding the Irony!
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“And above his [Jesus] head they put up the charge against him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” ”
When you read the Bible with depth, you find irony within its pages. “Irony” is defined as “the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.” The ancient Biblical writers were often brilliant in weaving a story using many different literary devices to bring their words to life. Like yesterday, I am using Yale professor Harold Bloom’s book, How to Read and Why, as a tool to read sacred Scripture. Bloom does not address Scripture specifically in his book, but we can still glean literary insight into The Bible.
Bloom speaks to the challenge of irony when he writes, “Irony is only a metaphor, and the irony of one literary age can rarely be the irony of another, yet without the renaissance of an ironic sense more than what we once called imaginative literature will be lost.” Now imagine trying to figure out the ironic moments from thousands of years ago. Half the time, I didn’t understand the Ironic humor of my grandparents. My wife and I make an ironic comment using illustrations from our youth, and our daughter looks at us with confused facial expressions. Irony requires interpretation. Interpretation is especially true when the irony is embedded in the humorous play on words. It is more difficult to understand and interpret when those words are Hebrew, Aramaic, or Ancient Greek.
Learning from those who know the original languages, historical themes, and even ancient humor is necessary to understand what the Bible conveys. The old bumper sticker or refrigerator magnet saying, “God said it. I believe it, and that’s that,” is so insidious because it belittles the uniqueness of the people of the Biblical period. If they dropped you in the United States in 1721, not only would you not get the humor, you wouldn’t understand 70% of the English they spoke, and that is only three hundred years ago. No wonder we need help when reading the Bible and seeking to understand its irony and humor.
Today, read the following verses from your Bible. Listen for irony within. Then pray for God to enlighten your reading so you can catch more of the literary nuances. Finally, go to your city or church library and check out a commentary on a specific Biblical book. Let the scholars help you find the hidden meanings within. Reading a commentary along with your Bible will be invaluable to your learning and spiritual growth. Here are the following passages for your consideration: 1 Kings 18;27; Job 12:2; Job 16:2-3; Jeremiah 34:17; 1 Corinthians 4:7-14; Mark 2:17; Mark 15:17-19; Luke 23:11; Matthew 27:37; Acts 26:28. Enjoy the challenge of finding the irony.
