Matthew 13:30 – “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.”
This year, there will be a distinct definition between where God is and where He is not, and who is He is and who He is not. One of the most popular songs of 2013 was Blurred Lines. The video, featuring Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke, highlighted raunchy gyrations and simulated sexual scenarios to the playful lyrics that suggested the exploitation of women. Yet the rhythm is so catchy that most did not even take the time to listen to the words because of the mesmerizing beat and melody. The question that many fail to ask is does dancing to suggestive music affect behavior? Most certainly…Even though the video may have been censored, its popularity soared and many young women wanted to twerk and tried to emulate that behavior in everyday life. As for Cyrus and Thicke, they both attribute the activity in the video as having a little fun and being themselves.
Some may highlight this as an isolated act, but to be honest, the rebellion against God and His standard of righteousness is displayed in the world and among those who shamefully profess His name. It is the beat, or the feeling derived by many, that fuel their decisions rather than the truth. The lines have become blurrier, therefore making it easier for them to be crossed and disregarded. When something is perverted, it indicates the fact that something good has been camouflaged. Evangelism, or the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, appears to be impossible in America because the voice of compromise has become popularized and publicized. Those who speak prophetically to this generation are ridiculed as archaic and outside of the contextual time frame of the 21st century.
Has Blurred Lines become the anthem of this generation? Has this become a time where people no longer care about absolutes when it comes to right and wrong? Is it left to the decision of the individual? Jesus said, “Let the wheat and the tares grow together…” In other words, there will come a day when each will bear the fruit of its nature. As the song continues to appeal to the debased nature saying, “You know you want it,” the passions and desires will gravitate toward those things that openly defy God and destroy the soul. But who cares about the future state of their souls? Most are in the dark as to the existence of both soul and spirit, so the rhythm appeals to feelings as they perish. They are twerking to the beat of self-destruction while the message is muffled by familiar sounds.
Who are the reapers of our day? They are the ones who gather in those who desire the unfamiliar. There is a strange voice that requires effort from those who are mesmerized by the world to hear. They must reject the natural flow of things and dance to the beat of a different drummer. There remains a conscience beyond their fallen state that underscores God’s original intent for their lives. Even though modern activities do not measure the same as the conviction by the voice of reason, they know its message is true.
Worship today cannot be reduced to twerking with the devil and each other for the pleasure of self-gratification. What pleases God will please each person that has given himself or herself wholly over to Him. Harvest time is coming, and when He comes, He will separate the wheat from the tares and the sheep from the goats. Let us pray for harvest time.