When I viewed the photos I took (and am using today) I thought — cliché. There are tons of photos of sunsets on flickr. But sometimes your clichés are useful as illustrations.

There are many within the church who account for success as the world does: as “blonde, boat and bach” — a young and beautiful wife, a good car, a house paid off a holiday home and the toys you want. That prosperity is a sign of blessing. That having power and status indicates that you have won.

I am not sure that this is correct. I have no doubt that the elders of Jerusalem, the council, had power. They managed to get Christ killed, after all. I think they were fairly well-off. But their path was one to perdition.

Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council

Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

(Matthew 26:57-68 ESV)

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
both low and high,
rich and poor together!
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

(Psalm 49 ESV)

Naked you came into this world, and naked you will go into the next. You cannot take your riches with you. Your power will go to another, and what you leave in this world is the lives you have influenced.

This challenges us two ways.

Firstly, in our society, we see those who are successful as winners. We have a competitive market: we have learned — painfully in New Zealand — that over regulation stifles the development of new businesses and new ways of doing things. That there needs to be some creative destruction as better ways of doing things make goods more accessible and better.

New Zealanders have to make things efficiently and simply: we have to factor transportation costs and tariffs in to our cost structure, for we live at the ends of the earth, and yet make enough money to keep that luxury we want, a welfare state from cradle to grave.

Secondly, like many people with a tendency to geek status, I like keeping… stuff. My house is full of electronics, books, cameras, musical instruments… most of which I use, but I could probably get rid of half of them.

Yet I know that if I had to run I would grab my glasses, contacts and medications. Everything else I can replace.

[My boys are now taller than I am. One does not grab them to run: they would be running ahead]

We need to be aware that the power of this world is ephemeral. If we have it, we need to use it for one another. If we have it not, we should be happy: for the burden of responsibility lies elsewhere, and with less power, less troubles.

But those who measure virtue, in a time of corruption, by the amount of power one has are foolish. And that error is one our society needs to repent from.