Luke 3:15, “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;…”
The word “mused” in our study verse means to think or to meditate upon a subject. The people thought and considered if John the Baptist was Christ or not.
When we apply the monosyllable/prefix “a” to any word we have structured the opposite of the meaning of the word. Examples include, but are not limited to: Typical, which is something or someone average or normal. Atypical, not normal or average. The word symmetrical means having symmetry. By applying the prefix “a” (asymmetrical) we change the word to the opposite, not having symmetry. The word chromatic may be used to define something related to or something produced with colors. Achromatic means to be without colors. So I trust the reader is able to understand how the prefix “a” is able to change the definition of a word to the opposite. Please forgive the language lesson, but the word gospel could be divided into the two words Go Spel, :).
Our study verse tells of people who took time to think and meditate upon a subject, but what about the word “amuse?” In today’s world we see and find many opportunities for amusement. But what does the word actually mean? It literally means to do “No Thinking”. Sure there are some places to visit which are termed Amusements that will stir thinking, but for the most part the amusements of this world do not. Television, radio, video games, etc will (more than likely) take the mind of the user away from thinking for themselves and direct the users mind to what the producer would have them to think.
In today’s world, if we are speaking or listening to someone who is aware of media tactics, we will hear words such as “conditioning.” Television, through amusement, uses programs to condition the minds of the users to their way of thinking. And just a side note, the word “program” should stir us to muse a bit on what we are being programmed to think.
Now for just a few moments, let’s think back some years and ask ourselves, “would those people who lived 50, 40, even 30 years ago accept what society accepts today?” The answer is, “No”. My grandparents would have thrown the television in the yard if they had watched the kids shows of today. Why? They were not conditioned with the amusement programs.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we should all think for ourselves. But for us to have time to think for ourselves, we need to turn off the electronics (this writer included). If the children of God in America spent as much time reading their Bibles, meditating and praying I doubt they would be fooled with the tactics of modern media. What’s the answer Br Ronnie? The answer is in the Lord and His Word. The informed mind is much more difficult to deceive. May we all be blessed from this moment forward to do more musing and spend less time being amused.