Luke 16
There is an interesting phenomenon that
takes place when I’m watching T.V. with my family – especially when I’m
watching sports. Often as the
commentator talks about game strategy, someone’s injury, or some statistic my
children will talk loudly to me about Batman, My Pretty Pony, or some other
such thing until I say to them, “I’m trying to hear this.” Then, when a commercial comes on, I turn to
the kids and try to talk to them, and (guess what!) they are staring and the
screen enthralled by whatever product is being hawked at the moment. They talk during the show and become silent
during the commercials!
In
Luke 16 Jesus tells us, “The sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with
their own generation than the sons of light.”
Corporations spend billions of dollars every year trying to persuade you
through advertisements and product placement.
Do you know why? It is because
they know it works. They have studied,
gathered experts, researched what makes you and me tick, and they will
tantalize, stroke, cajole, and mesmerize for the sake of selling their product;
for the sake of making money.
Do you think the world doesn’t do that
with other issues, too? Remember the
political commercials in October? Why
did President Obama (or any leader, for that matter) have children present when
he made his recent executive orders? Why
do so many shows portray extra-marital sex as fun without consequence? Do you think that songs on the radio do not
have messages, promote philosophies, or influence the way we think, feel, and
act? These are meant to influence
us.
The world is shrewd. You, however, have been redeemed from the
world. You have been set free from the
world’s agenda and you have the mind of Christ.
And Jesus’ teaching does not match the world’s.
The Word of God proclaims the truth, and
we follow it by God’s grace. This
doesn’t mean we will get everything right, or we won’t be influenced by the
world’s propaganda. But when we are
swayed, and later learn from the Word that we were wrong, we know we have
Jesus’ forgiveness so we repent.
What-is-more, He still calls, “Follow me!”
Father, let me see through the world’s
marketing so that I may follow Your will.
Let me live every day in the light of your grace. Amen.
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