jdl
October 31, 2000, 4:09pm
1
What is the history of the “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side” joke? Who first said or wrote it?
Actually, the original answer was, “To show the 'possum that it could be done.” However, the Oppossum Antidefamatory League objected to that answer, so they made it the innocuous answer.
From Why did the Chicken cross the road?
Biblical origins of the chicken teaching:
According to Strong’s lexicon, the Greek word translated “hen” is ornis {or’-nis}, which is probably from a prolonged form of the base of “oro” (to rise or “rear”). “This is a a proverbial phrase, used by rabbinic writing, to remove mountains, i.e. to accomplish the most difficult, stupendous, incredible thing.”
The concept of crossing the road clearly comes from Luke 10:32-32 (the good Samaritan): “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.”
Clearly, the false teachers (the priest and levite) considered righteousness to be too hard for them - it was too difficult, it was “oro.” And so they crossed the road to avoid it. Hence the tradition that “being chicken” means cowardice.
In conclusion, the chicken is the person who holds to apostate beliefs and practices, while considering itself righteous. It crossed the road to avoid facing the hard implications of keeping the faith.
Confirmation that the chicken was apostate
“Apostasia” means “forsaking” or “falling away.” To forsake the sidewalk/pavement by stepping down into the road, the chicken is, by definition, apostate. Let us look more closely at the symbolism of the pavement. To quote from Strong’s lexicon:
"3038 lithostrotos {lith-os’-tro-tos}
spread (paved with stones); a mosaic or tassellated pavement: so of a place near the praetorium or palace of Jerusalem; an apartment whose pavement consists of tassellated work. The word for “Pavement” is found nowhere else in the NT, but its Hebrew equivalent occurs just once in the OT, and it is evident that the Holy Ghost would have us link the two passages together. In 2 Kings 16:17 we read, “King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it and put it upon a “pavement” of stones.” In Ahaz’s case, his act was the conclusive token of his surrender to abject apostasy."
Who said JC and the Boys didn’t have a sense of humor ?