God the Comedian

Question: Since your blog is called "Bible Answers for Seekers", I have a question for you:

What Scriptures can you think of that features:
1. Irony
2. Sarcasm
3. Comedy

AND: What does this say about how God wants to relate to us and how he wants us to relate to him?

I know this is a big question, but I bet your up to it, and I am interested in your take on it.

Answer: My sincere thanks for your confidence Nate. I'll give an example of all three. As for irony, my favorite is the story in the book of Esther of Haman getting hung on the same gallow that he prepared for Mordecai. Oops! As for sarcasm, I think the Apostle Paul wins the sharpest tongue prize in his two letters to the Corinthians. But, then again, who can blame him? I'd be a bit miffed too if I planted a church and was beaten, stoned, robbed, and shipwrecked only to have a bunch of pious, puffed-up, super-apostle wannabees steal my congregation and accuse me of being a thief and a panzie. As for comedy- how about God giving a theological discourse to Balaam through an ass? Or asking Ezekiel to eat his own dung? Or making King Saul prophesy for an entire day naked? Or forcing Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the known world at the time, to act like a donkey for 7 years? (Let's pray that God decides not to do a replay of that one in our day and age) I think what all of this teaches us about God is that He is a personal being who is interested in the full range of human experience. (Unlike Hinduism and Buddhism which teach that God is impersonal and that material reality is ultimately illusional) After all, if the crux of Christianity is God sharing His life with us, what would that life be like without a bit of humor from time to time?