Firebrand

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbour and says, "I am only joking!" Proverbs 26:18-19 ESV 

 There's a fine line between having a joke at someone else's expense and being some kind of destructive madman. I must confess however that Solomon's comparison seems a bit melodramatic. I can accept that it's wrong to deceive someone, but to compare it to a madman who goes on a shooting spree (that is probably the modern analogy)?

 I think Solomon is on about people who trivialise serious stuff, and then when there's serious consequences make excuses. Imagine some false preacher who makes a mockery of talk of hell fire and damnation. If many of his hearers are deceived by him into hell, an "only joking" isn't going to cut it.

 Deceit isn't just in what we say, but in what we don't say. So imagine a believer who doesn't warn his neighbours that they need to trust in Jesus for their eternal salvation. Is his faith just a joke to him? 

Abraham's nephew Lot hated the wickedness of his city Sodom, but he never spoke out against it. So when he finally tried to warn his sons in law, they thought he was joking and perished with everyone else. Lot was saved, but by the skin of his teeth. Let's endeavour not to be saved alone out of our neighbourhoods, but to call our neighbours to repentance and faith in Jesus! 

"At first Lord, I thought I was far removed from this proverb. But it convicts me for making a joke of my faith, not taking it seriously enough to proclaim it to my neighbours. Have mercy on us we pray, for the sake of Jesus, amen"