The rock group, The Who, screamed a provocative lyric. In their song, Won’t Get Fooled Again, they conclude with a despairing truth “Meet the new boss… Same as the old boss.” Their song rightly points out a sad irony of every revolution that has ever taken place on the planet. Mankind strives and struggles to take two steps forward, but ironically we close our eyes and slide back to be the same people we hated.
The annals of history pitifully expose us to be hypocrites and charlatans. The United States wins a mighty revolution to escape taxation without representation, only to strangle our selves through taxation with representation. Are we really any better than King George? We scorn Hitler and Hussein as murderous madmen while we quietly murder tens of millions of defenseless children ourselves. Friends according to the numbers we are not better than Hitler or Hussein, but worse. We condemn God for allowing poverty throughout the world while we feather our nests with winnings from the stock lottery. It is not the hand of God that ruins the party, but our own greedy little palms.
We boast that we won’t get fooled again, but we are deaf, dumb, and blind to who we really are. Why even The Who understand something of our condition as their message concludes, “Meet the new boss… Same as the old boss.” But how can mankind permanently escape from the hopeless despair of our condition to get our feet on solid ground? View it from whatever level you choose, whether nations, governments, businesses, families, and even the church of Jesus Christ, we are a hot mess.
Perhaps we need further reformation? Perhaps we need yet another revolution?
4) Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray. 5) For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray. 6) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8) But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. 9) Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name's sake. 10) Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. 11) Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. 12) Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. 13) But he who endures to the end will be saved. 14) This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.Matthew 24:4-14 (WEB)
Friends, men will always claim to be the Messiah, reform old establishments, or revolt to begin new establishments. Jesus exhorts his disciples to not be troubled by these transient movements or even to join them. It is hard to imagine that The Who and Jesus have anything in common. But on this point they agree, as long as men or the establishments of men are your boss, then they are the same as every other boss, a fallen sinner.
I myself have looked to mere men a number of times for deliverance only to find myself enslaved by tyrants. And worst of all I still occasionally serve the greatest of tyrant of all time… self. But there is another to serve. There is an option distinct from all the rest, a new boss that is not the same as the old boss. Why not truly escape the hopelessness and despair of this fallen world and receive Jesus Christ as your boss, or better as your friend and savior?
He is unique above every other man. He is the God-man with wisdom, grace, and power to offer any that would call on him. With him on our side we can be fooled a thousand times and still rejoice in his forgiveness. With Jesus by our side we might even be able to honor a sinful earthly leader or even be one. Alternatively if you do not want to honor or lead, then why chose to be just a plain fallen sinner?
Won’t Get Fooled Again by The Who
We'll be fighting in the streetsWith our children at our feetAnd the morals that they worship will be goneAnd the men who spurred us onSit in judgment of all wrongThey decide and the shotgun sings the songI'll tip my hat to the new constitutionTake a bow for the new revolutionSmile and grin at the change all aroundPick up my guitar and playJust like yesterdayThen I'll get on my knees and prayWe don't get fooled againThe change, it had to comeWe knew it all alongWe were liberated from the fold, that's allAnd the world looks just the sameAnd history ain't changed'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next warI'll tip my hat to the new constitutionTake a bow for the new revolutionSmile and grin at the change all aroundPick up my guitar and playJust like yesterdayThen I'll get on my knees and prayWe don't get fooled againNo, no!I'll move myself and my family asideIf we happen to be left half aliveI'll get all my papers and smile at the skyThough I know that the hypnotized never lieDo ya?There's nothing in the streetsLooks any different to meAnd the slogans are replaced, by-the-byeAnd the parting on the leftAre now parting on the rightAnd the beards have all grown longer overnightI'll tip my hat to the new constitutionTake a bow for the new revolutionSmile and grin at the change all aroundPick up my guitar and playJust like yesterdayThen I'll get on my knees and prayWe don't get fooled againDon't get fooled againNo, no!Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!Meet the new bossSame as the old boss
