Why are we surprised?

I often wonder why we are surprised when the world acts worldly. The scripture clearly tells us that the world will in fact act worldly, yet we seem utterly shocked by the worldliness of the world. Yes, I am in fact playing on words here. The world is going to do what the world does.

So for those of you who may have missed it (and I am not sure how you could have given social media and the news outlets) Last Sunday during the Grammies, some performers acted out on stage pretty much worship of Satan, complete with flames, caged scantily clad ladies, and of course demons, all while singing their pop song “Unholy.” A song that debuted at #3 of the Billboard top 100 charts, and ascended to #1 within just three short weeks. CBS news tweeted “ready to worship” during the Grammies when this song was ready to be performed. Of course the outrage that ensued quickly caused them to delete the tweet. Yet, as I have often told people, once it is on the internet you can never retrieve it, there is no universal delete button that can erase something we foolishly put on the internet. The Twitterverse is no exception. CBS may have learned this the hard way.

Yes, it is true: the world is going to do what the world is going to do. It should come as no surprise. “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jn 8:42–44.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 (NKJV): “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

The world does not see, and frankly, the world does not want to see. They are blinded and don’t even know it.

In the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13: 24-30) there is the picture of the servants, whose desire is to pluck out the tares but the master says not to. Why. In so doing some of the wheat may be damaged. Jesus said the wheat and the tares had to grow up together before there would be a separation. Let’s look at it:

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 13:24–30.

Jesus gives the disciples the meaning of the parable later in the chapter in verses 36-43: “Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 13:36–43.

So then, the “Field” Jesus references in the parable is “the world.” The good seeds are sons of the kingdom (Believers/Saints/Christ Followers… you get the point). And the tares are the sons of the wicked one (unregenerate people who reject Christ, See John 8:42-44). So then, if Jesus said that the wheat and the tares are in the world and must grow together rather than be plucked out until the harvest (end of the age) Why then are we so surprised when the tares act like tares in the midst of the wheat?

As the tares mature and begin to bring forth their fruit in the world, I think a better question that we should be asking ourselves is this: Is the wheat maturing and bringing forth its fruit? In other words as the world does what the world does, are we doing what WE are supposed to be doing? Is the fruit we should be bringing forth to rale and moan about the tares or is it to proclaim with the loudest voice possible the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me ask you today, friend, do you live the Gospel? Do you proclaim that Christ came to save sinners like you and like me? As the darkness continues to pervade the world we find ourselves in today, let your light shine before men. Proverbs 4:18-19 “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and uglorify your Father in heaven. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 5:14–16.  Go, take the Gospel to your city!

Oh, and one closing thought, as believers, followers of Christ and His Word, let us not celebrate nor participate in the darkness of this world:

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” The New King James Version, 1 Jn 1:5–7.