A preacher was making his rounds to his parishioners on a bicycle when he came upon little Johnny trying to sell a lawnmower.
“How much do you want for the mower?” asked the preacher.
“I just want enough money to go out and buy me a bicycle,” said little Johnny.
After a moment of consideration, the preacher asked, “Will you take my bike in trade for it?”
Little Johnny said, “Mister, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
The preacher took the mower and tried to start it. He pulled and pulled on the rope until he was dripping with sweat, but the mower refused to start.
The preacher called little Johnny over and said, “I can’t get this mower to start.”
Little Johnny said, “That’s because you have to cuss at it to get it started.”
The preacher said, “I’m a man of the church, and I can’t cuss. It’s been so long since I’ve been saved that I don’t even remember how to cuss.”
Little Johnny looked at him happily and said, “Just keep pulling on that rope. It’ll come back to ya.”
Explanation: The joke is funny because little Johnny claims the lawnmower only starts if someone curses at it. The preacher proudly says he has forgotten how to swear because of his faith. Johnny’s punchline suggests that after enough frustration pulling the mower’s cord, the preacher’s old cussing habits will quickly return on their own.
