Joe South: "Games People Play"

Here's another social comment song from the late sixties. It's about how people lie, cheat, and trick each other for their own gain. Sadly, this has been happening for ages and it continues to this day.

Listen to this song here.

Jesus certainly was no stranger to those who wanted to trick and frame him. Mark 12:13-17 (Bible in Basic English) tells the story. "Then they sent to him certain of the Pharisees and the Herodians, so that they might make use of his words to take him by a trick. And when they had come, they said to him, 'Master, we are certain that you are true, and have no fear of anyone: you have no respect for a man's position, but you are teaching the true way of God: Is it right to give taxes to Caesar or not? Are we to give or not to give?' But he, conscious of their false hearts, said to them, 'Why do you put me to the test? give me a penny, so that I may see it.' And they gave him one. And he said to them, 'Whose is this image and name on it?' And they said to him, 'Caesar's.' And Jesus said to them, 'Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's.' And they were full of wonder at him."

Likewise, we can learn a great lesson from Proverbs 6:23-25 (BBE) about the value of God's law. "For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life. They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman. Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner."

We humans often try to flatter God. Psalms 78:36 and 37 (BBE) tell of Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord. "But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him; And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him."

Even when our opponents cause us grief, God can turn it around. Paul realized this in Philippians 1:18 (BBE) regarding those who put him down. "What then? only that in every way, falsely or truly, the preaching of Christ goes on; and in this I am glad, and will be glad."

The worst sort of game-playing is false service to God. As Jesus said in Mark 12:38-40 (BBE), "And in his teaching he said, 'Be on your watch against the scribes, whose pleasure it is to go about in long robes and be respected in the market-places, And to have the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts; Who take away the property of widows, and before the eyes of men make long prayers; these will be judged more hardly.'"

If Christ doesn't return by Monday, I hope to post about the necessity of work. To some, it's a four-letter word.