What the Bible Says About Dealing with Mockers and Fools

The explosion of social media has given nearly everyone a platform. To be sure, there are benefits to getting to hear from a variety of voices. Just yesterday, I read an online post from a woman who has a dramatically different political perspective than mine. In her post, she brought up a point of view I’d never considered, provided information I was unaware of, and offered a perspective I hadn’t contemplated. Simply put—I learned from her. She was well-informed, articulate, and kind—but that’s not always the case. If you’ve spent much time on social media, you’ve most assuredly come across trolls or what the Bible calls “mockers.” You might even be related to one.

What is a mocker?

A mocker is someone who uses his or her mouth to cause division, criticize, make fun of, and demean other people. Mockers are cynics who approach life with the mindset that they “know better” or have inside information and superior understanding. In reality, mockers possess none of these characteristics but cover the fact with smugness and mean-spirited sarcasm. Mockers have been causing trouble with their mouths long before the onset of social media, but they now have a higher profile because of the platform. We need to learn how to manage the mockers in our life. Thankfully, the book of Proverbs tells us:

The one who corrects a mocker
will bring abuse on himself;
the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.
 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;
rebuke the wise, and he will love you.
 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;
teach the righteous, and he will learn more (Prov. 9:7-9).

According to this passage, it’s wise to avoid correcting a mocker because the mocker refuses all forms of correction and retaliates with verbal abuse. So, why waste your breath? The text goes as far as to say that a mocker hates those who correct him or her (v. 7-8). Correcting a mocker is a waste of time because they don’t listen. Some people are fools and have no desire to change. On the other hand, a wise person embraces correction. Wise people are always looking for ways to improve, so they appreciate the feedback and have the ability to discern when correction that comes their way is given to help or hurt. In fact, the text says, “Reprove a wise man, and he will love you” (v. 8).

Obviously, we can’t let the mockers steamroll over us. The Bible doesn’t instruct God’s people to be doormats. We need wisdom on when to correct and when to stay quiet. The way to proceed is by predicting the likely outcome. Most of us have a pretty good idea of how someone will respond when corrected. Is this a person who will react defensively and with contempt? Will he be passive-aggressive and retaliate at a later time? If that’s the case, do yourself a favor and keep scrolling. And remember—the block and mute buttons are God’s grace to mankind—use them.