Tag: humor

Why we won’t laugh when Jesus tells a joke

June 27, 2025

When someone tells a joke, you have two choices.  You can laugh at the joke or not.  The or not is the one that can help or hinder a storyteller.  If you at least smile, then they are encouraged to keep trying.  If you frown, we know we missed your funny threshold.  When you rudely escort us to the door, we know we really blew it.

Some people do not realize how often Jesus got a laugh from His disciples and others around Him when he spoke.  One classic is the “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into Heaven.”  What is funny about this statement, you may ask?

Imagine Jesus walking down the road surrounded by his followers, with many Pharisees and Sadducees with them.  He is talking about who will go to see His Heavenly Father. “It is easier.” He says, holding His arms out. This is a sign of a word directly from God. “For a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”  As He brings his arms together and the two fingers on His right hand are just separated. “Than for a rich man to enter Heaven.”

“But, Lord, who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus replies that what is impossible for man is not for God. You don’t get the joke either. His followers did, and they laughed at the rich Pharisees who were there. They thought being Jews would get them into Heaven. Being a Baptist won’t do it either. No wonder we won’t laugh.

Our Lord was not making fun of His opponents. As He was hung on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” He was not just referring to the Roman soldiers. The Jewish Sanhedrin that condemned Him to death did not know what they were doing, either.

They wanted the conquering ruler to free their country. They did not know that the suffering servant had to die first. That sacrifice had to come back to life to conquer death, not just the Romans.

Israel is still in danger of being exterminated by those who have hated them for thousands of years because Jehovah loves them, and other nations do not. Iran, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria are a few examples.

The individuals needed salvation before the corporate group was set free to rule themselves again. Just as we Gentiles need to make a personal choice to accept the Messiah or the Christ and build a relationship with Him, the Jews are required to make a private decision. Have you done that yet?

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger

CHUCK AND THE DEAD HORSE

June 16, 2025

This is a story I heard many years ago. I wrote it out and saved it in my files. It went into my files for my columns years ago. Before I tell you the story I must make a disclaimer. Although my friends call me Chuck, this story is not about me.

“A fellow named Chuck encountered a farmer one day.  The farmer said he had a real deal for him.  He was selling raffle tickets to win a horse.  Chuck purchased one of the tickets and went on his way.

A few weeks later Chuck gets in touch with the farmer who tells him that he won the horse.  Chuck says that is great and asks when he can pick up the horse.  The farmer tells him that he regrets to report that the horse died last night.

Chuck demands to claim the horse even if it is dead and shows up at the farm with a truck.  The farmer is perplexed as to what Chuck plans to do with a dead horse.

Several months later the two meet up again and the farmer asks about the horse.  Chuck tells him he made $2500.00 off of the horse.  When asked how he was able to get that much for a dead horse he is told that Chuck raffled the horse off and when the winner came to pick up the horse and was told it was dead, Chuck gave him his money back and disposed of the dead horse.

The farmer then explains that Chuck is now a congressman.”

There are many morals to this story that I could give you. One is that a creative person can accomplish a great deal even with a dead horse. Or I could tell you that caveat emptor is Latin for “let the buyer beware.” I could even explain to you the U.S. economy. It is based on buy low and sell high.

This is Father’s Day and as a dad I am enticed to just accept this as a good dad’s joke. Or you might call it a bad dad joke. I have told a lot of those over the years and a few of the former.

My favorite story about my joke telling experiences is the time we were moving our youngest daughter from one dorm at Rolla to a different building to become a residence assistant. Some of her friends brought trucks and we were using our van to load, move and unload her possessions.

We were all visiting with each other and my daughter told first one and then another of my tales. After a while I had the opportunity to speak to her alone and I mentioned that she was using the material that she always told me was not funny. Each time she told a joke her friends laughed.

Her response was that she knew how to tell a joke better than I did. This was a line from another of my anecdotes. On this occasion I want to wish all dad’s a happy Father’s Day and apologize if once again I have confirmed what Kayla said.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger

It’s in the book

October 22, 2024

There was an old radio skit by one of those comedians seldom mentioned anymore. His name is Johhny Standley. His fame came in 1952 with the release of his recording, “It’s in the book.” I remember hearing it on the radio as a child. You know the type of story. Wayne Glenn played it on “The Old Record Collector” on Saturday mornings on KTXR radio in the 80s and 90s.

Andy Griffith became famous when he told us, “What it was was football.” This was in 1953. He followed Johnny Standley’s format as a comedian and told a tale from the viewpoint of a country boy. Standley took the persona of an old-time preacher complete with closing song. Deacon Andy went on to become famous as Andy Taylor and then as Ben Matlock. Last week I saw a new Matlock show. Life is a progression and that is what this column is about.

In the 1950’s almost everyone responded to these epic comedy records because they came from what we knew. It was familiar to us. Today it appears strange. Everyone knows “Little Bo-Peep” and football. Why were these skits popular? They were funny. They were different from what they heard before.

Television was new and this type of humor converted from radio and recordings to TV with little difficulty. When I retired my ministry changed from the workplace to the internet and instead of talking to dozens of people in a day, I now write to a potential audience of thousands. At least a couple of hundred. I hope.

Your life and experience are changing. Can you go with the flow? All you must do is be flexible. Do not get pushed around by the crowd as young Andy did. Be a leader or a follower and do not let others force you into a path you do not want to take.

In 1970, I got my driver’s license. I dropped Mom at home and went to Dog ‘N Suds drive-in to see Frank Costello about a job. He said they had no openings. As I was leaving, he asked why I had come there. My response was that he had employed my brother three years before. When he heard I was Sam’s brother, I filled out an application and started two days later. I was a fry cook. I became the best fry cook I could.

Three years later I became the best screw installer I could be. I worked on final line five at Zenith Radio Corporation in Springfield, Missouri and helped build console televisions. I was in manufacturing. All I did was install five screws and hang a tuner. I hated it. At the end of eighty-nine days, I turned in my resignation and went back to college determined to never work in a factory again.

A year later my dream of becoming a reporter became a desire to become a minister and I transferred to Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri from Southwest Missouri State University. My plan had been to go to the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia. That was what I thought I wanted.

God wanted me to spend my next two years learning to study His word and how to lead others to learn what He wanted them to do. Fifty years ago, I began that journey. He opened many opportunities for me. I have served as a student pastor, salesman, purchasing agent, manager, teacher, husband, father, guide, friend, and mentor.

Now I have time to share all my experience with you, dear reader. I hope you realize the potential that God has given to you to be what He wants you to become. The possibilities are endless and yes, the saying is still true. It’s in the book. Join me as we explore it.

©Copyright 2024 by Charles Kensinger

One Dollar a Joke

February 4, 2023

Before I became rich and famous, I noticed that people were paying to see comedians and that I was giving my funny comments and stories away for free. I decided to experiment with making a little extra spending money by charging people when they laughed at something I had said. Upon completing an anecdote and hearing the listeners’ pleasure in their laughter, I simply stated, “That will be a dollar, please.” I have yet to make any money that way.

Some would laugh even harder at this “joke” which was not intended to even be funny. Humor is created by blending the obvious and the absurd. That must be what I did, accidentally. Some of what I believe to be my most hilarious witticisms did not elicit the cackles this faux pas received.

My youngest daughter has always joked about my stories being old and lame. A few years ago, her mother and I were moving her from one location to another while she was a university student. Several of her friends were also helping. I noticed that many of my stories were being shared with her friends, who laughed at them all.

Later I mentioned this to her and was told that I did not know how to tell a joke. They enjoyed the humor because it was the first time, they had heard my original material. I try to use that fresh comedic wit in my writing.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=py2fadHPR34

The problem with sharing my funny stuff with you is that I am not making any money from you either. My dollar per joke still seems reasonable. Save up my money until it adds up to a hundred dollars or more. Contact me and I will give you my address and you can send me a check. I need to include more humor so that I won’t die before I’ve racked up the hundred.

Did you expect the end of that one? Did you laugh or at least smile a little? Now you know why the first thing a comedian does is hire writers to create the material they use. I hope you found this entertaining. If so, send your dollar. Thank you for your support.

©Copyright 2023 by Charles Kensinger