The Sin of Mockery

Should Christians, or anyone for that matter, joke, mock, scorn and ridicule at someone else's expense? The clear answer is No.

Mockery, like anger, is a powerful emotional force. In the Bible, it was almost always used by a proud person who was trying to stop or hinder the work of God or the truth of God. Mockery of truth was an attempt to get people to lay aside their minds and follow their emotions. Jesus faced much mockery while here on earth. It is questionable whether Christians should ever use mockery. Psalm 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man that...sitteth not in the seat of the scornful."

In this troubled world, Christians often are mocked for their faith, and attacked with insults and slander. This is lesson entitled, "What the Bible Says About Scorn & Mockery," is an interesting audio lecture series from the Vision Forum. Christians should be mindful to take heed to it.

While it seems natural to rise in defense to scorn, derision and mockery, the Scriptures offer counsel to the mocked... Trying to be more Christ-like entails that we do not respond in kind. Sometimes walking away becomes the discipline. It's natural to see ourselves in the best possible light, and while we should be forgiving and apt to reconcile, sometimes being forgiving does not mean continiously entertaining transgressions perpetuated against us wrongfully—least of all mockery and scorn. As the Apostle Paul reminds us...

"Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."
— Titus 3:10-11