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Apt Replies

             A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! (Proverbs 15:23)

Don’t you love repartee? Most of the time, it’s verbal and rises above the response of “Well, yeah, your muther…” It doesn’t have to be verbal. The physical version is what makes dramatized sword fights so much fun. Repartee is the soul of much comedy, but it is also an example of an apt reply and the joy it can bring. Of course, it’s not the only kind of apt reply.

What makes a reply apt is that it is appropriate or suitable to the situation. Witty repartee is only sometimes apt in real life. We sometimes see ideas like “Is it necessary? Is it kind? Is it true?” as the filters through which our words should pass, and they are bad considerations. There are some Biblical suggestions about our words being seasoned, as it were, with salt. That’s also useful.

But we need to be careful. Jesus told people off. He made a lash and cleared the Temple courts. He said things and did things that others thought inappropriate, including claiming to be equal to God. At the same time, whether those answers were apt depends on your perspective. If your goal is to bring God honor, and people are dishonoring Him in the Temple, it’s apt to kick them out. If one is equal with God, it’s apt to say so. It’s only if you reject the evidence provided that they are not apt.

So, when it’s appropriate (which is most of the time) sprinkle your conversation with salt. But when the house is on fire, don’t whisper.

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