- At some point in your
life, it is going to feel
00:00:01.40\00:00:03.50
like the world has suddenly
turned completely against you
00:00:03.50\00:00:07.17
and it'll seem like
people are turning on you
00:00:07.17\00:00:09.54
without any provocation.
00:00:09.54\00:00:11.67
Injustice is a very
real part of human existence.
00:00:11.67\00:00:15.71
So the question is, how
are you gonna deal with it
00:00:15.71\00:00:18.88
when it inevitably happens?
00:00:18.88\00:00:20.92
[soft music]
00:00:20.92\00:00:25.92
Over the course of a lifetime,
00:00:41.64\00:00:43.51
most of us build some
kind of personal philosophy,
00:00:43.51\00:00:46.27
an intellectual
model, to help us navigate
00:00:46.27\00:00:48.78
what appears to be
a very chaotic world.
00:00:48.78\00:00:51.61
As different things happen to us
00:00:52.55\00:00:54.32
we make slight
adjustments to that model,
00:00:54.32\00:00:56.58
so that it still makes sense,
00:00:56.58\00:00:58.55
much the way that a
scientist might adjust a theory
00:00:58.55\00:01:01.69
to fit new emerging data.
00:01:01.69\00:01:04.09
And by the time you hit
middle age or even before that,
00:01:04.09\00:01:07.23
most people's models
appear to be rather baked in.
00:01:07.23\00:01:10.73
You're not too likely
00:01:10.73\00:01:12.37
to change your mind
about things anymore
00:01:12.37\00:01:14.17
unless there's very
compelling evidence to do so.
00:01:14.17\00:01:18.17
For the most part,
00:01:18.17\00:01:19.44
our self-made
philosophy serve us pretty well.
00:01:19.44\00:01:22.34
We need some kind of
framework to navigate life
00:01:22.34\00:01:25.81
but where the rubber
really meets the road,
00:01:25.81\00:01:28.42
where you're going to
find out if your model is good,
00:01:28.42\00:01:31.19
is in the home stretch.
00:01:31.19\00:01:32.82
When you find yourself days
away from life's finish line
00:01:32.82\00:01:35.82
looking death in the eye,
00:01:35.82\00:01:38.03
is your worldview
still going to sustain you?
00:01:38.03\00:01:41.43
That was the question
faced by the Roman statesman,
00:01:41.43\00:01:44.07
Boethius, back in
the early sixth century
00:01:44.07\00:01:47.20
when he suddenly
found himself imprisoned
00:01:47.20\00:01:49.44
and condemned to die for
crimes he did not commit.
00:01:49.44\00:01:53.11
The Western Roman
Empire at that point
00:01:53.11\00:01:55.04
was already yesterday's news.
00:01:55.04\00:01:57.61
Romulus Augustulus,
the last Western emperor,
00:01:57.61\00:02:00.82
had been deposed in
476 AD and in his place,
00:02:00.82\00:02:05.05
Gothic kings were ruling
Italy from the city of Ravenna.
00:02:05.05\00:02:09.39
First, Odoacer who had
removed the Western emperor
00:02:09.39\00:02:13.29
and then Theodoric the Great
00:02:13.29\00:02:15.66
who seized the Western throne
00:02:15.66\00:02:16.93
at the prompting
of the Eastern emperor
00:02:16.93\00:02:19.83
who was trying to get him to
stop attacking Constantinople.
00:02:19.83\00:02:23.14
The Gothic kings in the
West did not consider themselves
00:02:24.61\00:02:27.44
to be the successors
of the Roman emperors,
00:02:27.44\00:02:30.65
which was really obvious
00:02:30.65\00:02:32.21
when Odoacer actually sent
the imperial crown and cloak
00:02:32.21\00:02:36.28
back to Constantinople
00:02:36.28\00:02:38.19
as a symbolic nod to
their political supremacy.
00:02:38.19\00:02:41.89
He just wanted to
be the king of Italy
00:02:41.89\00:02:44.19
and he was happy to be somewhat
subservient to the emperor.
00:02:44.19\00:02:48.43
Now, in reality, there
wasn't much subservience
00:02:48.43\00:02:51.60
but on paper that
was kind of the idea.
00:02:51.60\00:02:54.84
Then, when Theodoric
took the Western throne,
00:02:54.84\00:02:57.54
he adopted the same attitude,
00:02:57.54\00:02:59.81
an attitude of
subservience to the East
00:02:59.81\00:03:02.88
but in his Senate,
00:03:02.88\00:03:04.41
there was a great deal of
apprehension and suspicion
00:03:04.41\00:03:07.28
about the
ambitions of Constantinople
00:03:07.28\00:03:10.19
to the point where
rumors started to fly
00:03:10.19\00:03:12.22
that perhaps some of the
senators in their midst were
00:03:12.22\00:03:15.86
moles, spies for the East in
league with the emperor, Justin
00:03:15.86\00:03:17.56
I. spies for the East in league
with the emperor, Justin I.
00:03:17.56\00:03:20.36
People's suspicions
eventually landed on Boethius,
00:03:21.66\00:03:25.00
a rather well-heeled
00:03:25.00\00:03:26.13
and academically
accomplished individual
00:03:26.13\00:03:29.00
who made it his purpose
00:03:29.00\00:03:30.24
to live a
principled and ethical life.
00:03:30.24\00:03:34.08
The efforts of Boethius
to be honest and transparent
00:03:34.08\00:03:36.64
were completely
misunderstood by everybody
00:03:36.64\00:03:40.05
and he was accused of
covering up a plot by traders
00:03:40.05\00:03:42.72
in their midst and
Boethius was condemned to death.
00:03:42.72\00:03:47.62
It was during his time in prison
00:03:47.62\00:03:49.86
that he wrote
his most famous book,
00:03:49.86\00:03:51.66
a book called "The
Consolation of Philosophy",
00:03:51.66\00:03:55.40
which I must say is one
of the most beautiful books
00:03:55.40\00:03:58.53
handed down to us
from the ancient world.
00:03:58.53\00:04:00.84
It's part poetry and part prose,
which makes it fun to read.
00:04:00.84\00:04:05.41
And it's a
dialogue between Boethius
00:04:05.41\00:04:08.21
and a woman who is the
personification of philosophy,
00:04:08.21\00:04:12.21
kind of the way that
wisdom is personified as a woman
00:04:12.21\00:04:15.82
in the Bible's book of Proverbs.
00:04:15.82\00:04:18.42
This is a book that
I would almost, almost,
00:04:19.82\00:04:23.69
put on the same shelf with the
books of Job and Ecclesiastes
00:04:23.69\00:04:27.03
because it deals with
the problem of suffering
00:04:27.03\00:04:30.20
and it does it really well.
00:04:30.20\00:04:32.47
And it forces you to
examine your own priorities
00:04:32.47\00:04:35.04
and ask yourself if the
way you've built your life
00:04:35.04\00:04:38.21
is going to be
enough to sustain you
00:04:38.21\00:04:41.24
when you
suddenly lose everything.
00:04:41.24\00:04:44.85
What good is your philosophy
00:04:44.85\00:04:46.31
if it can't help
you when life gets hard?
00:04:46.31\00:04:49.38
Of course, it also
raises political questions.
00:04:49.38\00:04:52.25
Things like, would you
rather be right about things
00:04:52.25\00:04:54.89
or favored by people?
00:04:54.89\00:04:57.76
And the ultimate question
raised in this book by Boethius
00:04:57.76\00:05:01.00
is about your worldview.
00:05:01.00\00:05:03.47
Is your
understanding of the world
00:05:03.47\00:05:05.37
enough to carry you
through the very worst that life
00:05:05.37\00:05:09.30
is eventually
going to dump on you?
00:05:09.30\00:05:11.64
At the beginning of the volume,
Boethius laments the fact
00:05:11.64\00:05:14.61
that wicked
people seem to prosper.
00:05:14.61\00:05:17.31
Well, principled
individuals like himself
00:05:17.31\00:05:20.72
were being
punished all too severely.
00:05:20.72\00:05:23.55
Here's what he writes.
00:05:23.55\00:05:24.72
He says,
00:05:24.72\00:05:26.19
"For myself, I have been
parted from my possessions,
00:05:26.19\00:05:29.12
"stripped of my offices,
blackened in my reputation,
00:05:29.12\00:05:32.46
"and punished for the
services I have rendered.
00:05:32.46\00:05:35.50
"By contrast, images
appear before my eyes
00:05:35.50\00:05:37.87
"of criminals in their
dens, wallowing in sensual joys,
00:05:37.87\00:05:42.27
"the most abandoned of them
00:05:42.27\00:05:43.64
"plotting renewed
false accusations,
00:05:43.64\00:05:46.41
"while good men
are prostrate with fear
00:05:46.41\00:05:49.64
"as they survey my danger."
00:05:49.64\00:05:52.21
If, for some reason,
00:05:52.21\00:05:53.65
you thought that corrupt
governments were a new thing,
00:05:53.65\00:05:56.52
think again.
00:05:56.52\00:05:57.75
That problem is as old
as civilization itself.
00:05:57.75\00:06:00.69
Boethius is thrown in
prison for being a good man.
00:06:00.69\00:06:04.49
His honesty and his
dedication to ethical conduct
00:06:04.49\00:06:07.86
has made him a threat to people
00:06:07.86\00:06:09.20
who hunger after
things like prestige or power.
00:06:09.20\00:06:13.30
And the fact that Boethius
00:06:13.30\00:06:14.50
was condemned to
death for being good
00:06:14.50\00:06:17.37
was driving other
good people into silence.
00:06:17.37\00:06:22.01
What happened
was completely unjust
00:06:22.01\00:06:25.18
and what's
surprising to some people
00:06:25.18\00:06:26.75
is that the authors of the Bible
00:06:26.75\00:06:29.08
express pretty
much the same sentiment.
00:06:29.08\00:06:32.19
I know that some people think
00:06:32.19\00:06:33.69
the Bible is nothing but a
work of religious propaganda
00:06:33.69\00:06:36.32
designed to sell a religion
00:06:36.32\00:06:39.69
but this book is
nothing of the sort.
00:06:39.69\00:06:41.16
I mean, listen to this passage
00:06:41.16\00:06:42.86
found over in the book
of Psalms where it says,
00:06:42.86\00:06:46.80
"But as for me, my
feet had almost stumbled;
00:06:46.80\00:06:49.97
"my steps had nearly slipped.
00:06:49.97\00:06:52.07
"For I was
envious of the boastful,
00:06:52.07\00:06:53.88
"when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked.
00:06:53.88\00:06:56.88
"For there are no
pangs in their death,
00:06:56.88\00:06:59.21
"but their strength is firm.
00:06:59.21\00:07:00.92
"They are not in
trouble as other men,
00:07:00.92\00:07:02.52
"nor are they
plagued like other men."
00:07:02.52\00:07:05.29
The apparent lack
of justice in our world
00:07:06.49\00:07:08.46
is a very old problem,
00:07:08.46\00:07:10.66
a problem that keeps a lot
of good people awake at night.
00:07:10.66\00:07:14.10
What's the use of living well
00:07:14.10\00:07:16.33
if you never
get to see a payoff?
00:07:16.33\00:07:18.80
That's one of the
biggest questions asked
00:07:18.80\00:07:21.34
in "The
Consolation of Philosophy".
00:07:21.34\00:07:23.64
Now, most of
this book by Boethius
00:07:23.64\00:07:25.87
appeals to ancient
classical learning.
00:07:25.87\00:07:28.74
It has all kinds of illusions
00:07:28.74\00:07:30.45
to pagan
philosophers and historians,
00:07:30.45\00:07:32.88
which makes good sense.
00:07:32.88\00:07:34.12
I mean, Boethius had
a classical education
00:07:34.12\00:07:37.95
but he was also a Christian
00:07:38.99\00:07:40.86
who tried to
help heal the divide
00:07:40.86\00:07:42.86
between the bishops of
Rome and Constantinople,
00:07:42.86\00:07:45.99
which perhaps didn't help
the unfortunate perception
00:07:45.99\00:07:48.83
that he was trying
to overthrow the West.
00:07:48.83\00:07:51.97
And, of course, some of
the big questions he raised
00:07:51.97\00:07:54.00
are the same
questions raised in the Bible.
00:07:54.00\00:07:57.91
Boethius cannot understand
why his life is ending so badly.
00:07:57.91\00:07:59.41
Boethius cannot understand
why his life is ending so badly.
00:07:59.41\00:08:03.75
And in that moment, he joins
the likes of John the Baptist
00:08:05.18\00:08:06.92
who spent his life announcing
the arrival of Messiah
00:08:06.92\00:08:11.12
but then died in Herod's prison
00:08:11.12\00:08:12.72
after condemning a wicked
king's reprehensible behavior.
00:08:12.72\00:08:16.99
Now, in the time that
you and I have together,
00:08:18.16\00:08:20.50
there's no way we could
put a dent in this whole book,
00:08:20.50\00:08:22.63
so we're gonna have to touch
down on a few little highlights
00:08:22.63\00:08:25.37
and make ourselves
content with just that.
00:08:25.37\00:08:28.44
What Boethius is doing is trying
to find order in a universe
00:08:28.44\00:08:32.91
when his world
appears to be chaotic,
00:08:32.91\00:08:35.14
which is something
that we all eventually do.
00:08:35.14\00:08:37.81
In his book, "Suspicious Minds",
00:08:37.81\00:08:40.48
Rob Brotherton
describes an experiment
00:08:40.48\00:08:42.52
at the University of Amsterdam
00:08:42.52\00:08:44.42
where psychologists
asked a group of people
00:08:44.42\00:08:46.55
to think about something
that made them feel ambivalent.
00:08:46.55\00:08:51.26
And they were
asked to sit at computers
00:08:51.26\00:08:52.96
and write out a
list of pros and cons
00:08:52.96\00:08:54.96
for whatever
subject they thought about.
00:08:54.96\00:08:57.47
When they were finished,
00:08:57.47\00:08:58.97
the computer was designed
to spit out an error message
00:08:58.97\00:09:02.64
and they were told they
had to do the whole thing again
00:09:02.64\00:09:04.97
but at a different terminal.
00:09:04.97\00:09:07.01
At that point, they were
taken to a really messy cubicle
00:09:07.01\00:09:10.58
with a second computer.
00:09:10.58\00:09:12.41
And they were shown a
series of abstract images,
00:09:12.41\00:09:15.58
a series of dots,
00:09:15.58\00:09:17.35
some of which contained
real pictures of objects
00:09:17.35\00:09:20.32
and others that
were simply random.
00:09:20.32\00:09:22.96
What they discovered
was absolutely fascinating.
00:09:22.96\00:09:26.49
If the cubicle was messy, if
it was a chaotic environment,
00:09:26.49\00:09:30.93
more people found
patterns in those random dots
00:09:30.93\00:09:33.90
than those who took up the
time to clean up the cubicle
00:09:33.90\00:09:36.81
before they did the test.
00:09:36.81\00:09:38.87
In other words,
00:09:38.87\00:09:40.31
something in our
brains makes us crave order.
00:09:40.31\00:09:45.01
And if there isn't discernible
order in our environment,
00:09:45.01\00:09:47.75
for some reason, our
brains will manufacture it.
00:09:47.75\00:09:52.39
So, when your life
suddenly falls apart,
00:09:52.39\00:09:55.06
there's something thing
inside you that doesn't like it.
00:09:55.06\00:09:57.99
You instinctively know
it's not supposed to be this way
00:09:57.99\00:10:00.80
and your brain goes
looking for reasons.
00:10:00.80\00:10:04.90
And what sparks that, in
my not so humble opinion,
00:10:04.90\00:10:08.17
is the drive we seem to
have to go looking for God
00:10:08.17\00:10:11.31
when the world
becomes a chaotic mess.
00:10:11.31\00:10:13.84
All right, we've
got to take a break
00:10:13.84\00:10:15.84
but then I'll be
right back after this.
00:10:15.84\00:10:18.78
- [Voiceover] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues.
00:10:22.52\00:10:26.49
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:10:26.49\00:10:31.06
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:10:31.06\00:10:33.60
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:10:33.60\00:10:36.30
Our free "Focus
on Prophecy" guides
00:10:36.30\00:10:38.67
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:10:38.67\00:10:41.77
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:10:41.77\00:10:43.84
for you and our world.
00:10:43.84\00:10:45.87
Study online or
request them by mail
00:10:45.87\00:10:48.31
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:10:48.31\00:10:51.18
- In his famous book,
00:10:52.31\00:10:53.95
Boethius imagines Lady
Philosophy coming to his prison
00:10:53.95\00:10:56.95
cell to discuss the suffering
that he's going through.
00:10:56.95\00:11:00.92
And throughout the book,
00:11:00.92\00:11:02.46
Philosophy, this lady, gently
applies more and more remedies
00:11:02.46\00:11:05.93
to correct his bad thinking,
00:11:05.93\00:11:07.73
telling him that
she needs to go slowly
00:11:07.73\00:11:10.00
before she can give him the
bitter medicine he really needs.
00:11:10.00\00:11:14.04
Early on, this is what she says.
00:11:14.04\00:11:16.71
"Now I know," she said, "the
further cause of your sickness,
00:11:16.71\00:11:19.57
"and it is a very serious one.
00:11:19.57\00:11:21.54
"You have
forgotten your own identity."
00:11:21.54\00:11:25.38
Now, that is
probably the number one reason
00:11:25.38\00:11:27.48
I wanted to bring up
this book to the show today
00:11:27.48\00:11:29.78
because it suggests
that we suffer mentally
00:11:29.78\00:11:32.19
because we've
forgotten who we are.
00:11:32.19\00:11:35.32
According to this, a
great deal of mental anxiety
00:11:35.32\00:11:38.63
stems from
adopting false beliefs
00:11:38.63\00:11:40.56
about the nature of the world
00:11:40.56\00:11:42.10
and then expecting the
world to fit into your beliefs.
00:11:42.10\00:11:45.63
In Boethius' case, the problem
was that he was all too happy
00:11:45.63\00:11:49.17
to accept the random movements
of the wheel of fortune
00:11:49.17\00:11:52.67
when they moved in his favor.
00:11:52.67\00:11:54.64
He was happy with
his pampered childhood.
00:11:54.64\00:11:57.11
He was happy to be
an important statesman.
00:11:57.11\00:11:59.81
He was happy to
have people go on and on
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.95
about this wonderful
landmark speech he made
00:12:01.95\00:12:04.99
in front of the king.
00:12:04.99\00:12:06.35
He had a very good life
00:12:06.35\00:12:09.06
and he thought fortune
would smile on him forever.
00:12:09.06\00:12:13.66
But when fortune suddenly
shifted and his life fell apart,
00:12:13.66\00:12:16.53
he felt cheated.
00:12:16.53\00:12:18.13
More importantly,
00:12:18.13\00:12:19.57
his mental framework for
living had just fallen apart.
00:12:19.57\00:12:22.64
Here's how he describes it.
00:12:22.64\00:12:25.24
"Fortune, in particular,
her fawning friendship
00:12:25.24\00:12:27.91
"with those whom
she intends to cheat,
00:12:27.91\00:12:30.88
"until the moment she
unexpectedly abandons them,
00:12:30.88\00:12:34.25
"and leaves them reeling
in agony beyond endurance.
00:12:34.25\00:12:37.95
"But if you recall what
she is, her ways and her worth,
00:12:37.95\00:12:40.89
"you will realize that you
neither had, nor have lost,
00:12:40.89\00:12:43.66
"anything of worth through
your association with her...
00:12:43.66\00:12:47.13
"You think that Fortune
has changed towards you,
00:12:47.13\00:12:49.70
"but you are mistaken.
00:12:49.70\00:12:51.33
"Her ways and her
nature are always the same.
00:12:51.33\00:12:54.54
"What she has done is manifest
towards you the fickleness
00:12:54.54\00:12:58.44
"which reflects her
characteristic constancy."
00:12:58.44\00:13:01.61
In other words,
00:13:01.61\00:13:03.11
"What did you think was
going to happen, Boethius?
00:13:03.11\00:13:05.91
"Everybody's life is chaotic.
00:13:05.91\00:13:07.68
"Did you really think
00:13:07.68\00:13:09.08
"you were the one
exception to the rule?"
00:13:09.08\00:13:12.92
All of us have to
deal with living in a place
00:13:12.92\00:13:14.69
that human beings thought
they could manage without God.
00:13:14.69\00:13:18.86
And so, all of us
succumb sooner or later
00:13:18.86\00:13:20.90
to the results of
living as fallen human beings.
00:13:20.90\00:13:24.60
Because of the
nature of our broken world,
00:13:24.60\00:13:26.80
even good people suffer.
00:13:26.80\00:13:29.60
Jesus himself
expressed a similar thought
00:13:29.60\00:13:31.87
in the Sermon on the Mount.
00:13:31.87\00:13:33.11
"...for He", he
said, that's God,
00:13:33.11\00:13:35.28
"makes His sun rise on
the evil and on the good,
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.48
"and sends rain on the
just and on the unjust."
00:13:38.48\00:13:42.95
You know, I
think one of the things
00:13:42.95\00:13:44.19
I like best about
the writings of Boethius
00:13:44.19\00:13:46.29
is just how honest he is.
00:13:46.29\00:13:49.79
When you read about
the final days of Socrates
00:13:49.79\00:13:51.76
who was also condemned to death,
00:13:51.76\00:13:54.60
the whole thing
seems a little surreal.
00:13:54.60\00:13:56.73
Plato makes Socrates seem happy,
00:13:56.73\00:13:59.13
as if being in
prison and condemned to die
00:13:59.13\00:14:00.74
is the best thing
that's ever happened to him.
00:14:00.74\00:14:03.91
It's not a typical experience
for a real human being.
00:14:03.91\00:14:07.24
And you'll notice, by the way,
00:14:07.24\00:14:09.01
it wasn't the
experience of Jesus
00:14:09.01\00:14:10.81
who begged his father
in the Garden of Gethsemane
00:14:10.81\00:14:13.58
to let the cup of
extreme suffering pass.
00:14:13.58\00:14:17.75
Honestly, I have
trouble relating to somebody
00:14:17.75\00:14:19.72
who loves the thought of dying,
00:14:19.72\00:14:21.99
except maybe those few people
00:14:21.99\00:14:23.53
who are
suffering so horrifically
00:14:23.53\00:14:25.96
that death would
actually be welcome.
00:14:25.96\00:14:28.36
But aside from that,
very few people want to die.
00:14:28.36\00:14:32.43
And Boethius is honest.
00:14:32.43\00:14:34.04
He's as human as you and I are.
00:14:34.04\00:14:35.97
And he raises the
same questions we do
00:14:35.97\00:14:38.07
when life suddenly becomes hard.
00:14:38.07\00:14:40.68
Why, where is the justice?
00:14:40.68\00:14:43.21
How do we make
sense out of this?
00:14:43.21\00:14:45.41
And at the end of the
day, the really big question,
00:14:45.41\00:14:48.38
where is God when it hurts?
00:14:48.38\00:14:51.19
Now, one of the most important
ideas this guy brings up
00:14:52.55\00:14:55.12
is the notion of
lowering your expectations.
00:14:55.12\00:14:58.99
If you don't go through life
00:14:58.99\00:15:00.30
expecting nothing
but sunshine and roses,
00:15:00.30\00:15:02.46
it doesn't hurt quite as badly
00:15:02.46\00:15:03.93
when your personal
fortune takes a nose-dive.
00:15:03.93\00:15:07.37
"If you sow seeds in
your fields", Boethius writes,
00:15:07.37\00:15:09.90
"you must
balance the barren years
00:15:09.90\00:15:11.74
"against the fruitful harvests."
00:15:11.74\00:15:13.74
That's pretty good advice.
00:15:13.74\00:15:16.01
It's easy to
believe when times are tough
00:15:16.01\00:15:18.18
that the universe
has turned against you
00:15:18.18\00:15:20.25
but that's only
because we quickly forget
00:15:20.25\00:15:22.78
how good we've had it otherwise.
00:15:22.78\00:15:25.09
And it's also because we've
been living under the illusion
00:15:25.09\00:15:27.52
that we actually own stuff,
00:15:27.52\00:15:29.69
which brings me to one of
my favorite parts of this book.
00:15:29.69\00:15:33.53
I mean, listen to this.
00:15:33.53\00:15:34.73
This is Lady
Philosophy talking to Boethius.
00:15:34.73\00:15:37.23
She says,
00:15:37.23\00:15:38.67
"When nature brought you
forth from your mother's womb,
00:15:38.67\00:15:40.87
"I adopted you;
00:15:40.87\00:15:42.77
"you were naked then,
and bereft of everything.
00:15:42.77\00:15:45.41
"I nurtured you
with my resources,
00:15:45.41\00:15:46.84
"and, this is what now
makes you so angry with me,
00:15:46.84\00:15:50.75
"I bent over
backwards to spoil you,
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.75
"and to give you a
pampered upbringing.
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.82
"I hedged you round
with the glittering panoply
00:15:54.82\00:15:57.29
"of all those
riches rightfully mine.
00:15:57.29\00:16:00.12
"It now suits me
to withdraw my gifts.
00:16:00.12\00:16:02.56
"You owe me a debt of gratitude
00:16:02.56\00:16:04.06
"for having enjoyed
possessions not your own;
00:16:04.06\00:16:07.23
"you have no right to complain
00:16:07.23\00:16:08.70
"as if you have lost
what was indisputably yours.
00:16:08.70\00:16:12.27
"So why moan and grow?
00:16:12.27\00:16:13.90
"I have not laid
violent hands on you.
00:16:13.90\00:16:16.10
"Wealth and position
00:16:16.10\00:16:17.34
"and all such things
are at my discretion.
00:16:17.34\00:16:19.64
"These handmaids of mine
acknowledge their mistress;
00:16:19.64\00:16:22.21
"they come with me, and
they retire when I depart.
00:16:22.21\00:16:25.81
"I can assert with confidence
00:16:25.81\00:16:27.28
"that if those possessions
whose loss you lament
00:16:27.28\00:16:29.85
"had really been yours,
00:16:29.85\00:16:32.25
"you would
certainly not have lost them."
00:16:32.25\00:16:34.52
In other words,
00:16:34.52\00:16:35.99
the only reason we feel
lost when life becomes unfair
00:16:35.99\00:16:38.26
is because we were
living under an illusion
00:16:38.26\00:16:41.03
that this broken
world owes us something,
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.47
that we actually own stuff.
00:16:43.47\00:16:46.07
It reminds me of the story
that Jesus told of a rich man
00:16:47.47\00:16:49.20
who was living
under the illusion
00:16:49.20\00:16:50.67
that his possessions
gave him personal meaning.
00:16:50.67\00:16:53.91
It's found over in Luke
12 where Jesus says this.
00:16:53.91\00:16:58.91
"Then he spoke a
parable to them, saying:
00:17:00.05\00:17:01.48
"The ground of a certain
rich man yielded plentifully.
00:17:01.48\00:17:04.49
"And he thought
within himself saying,
00:17:04.49\00:17:05.95
"What shall I do, since I
have no room to store my crops?
00:17:05.95\00:17:09.62
"So he said, I will do this:
00:17:09.62\00:17:11.33
"I will pull down my
barns and build greater,
00:17:11.33\00:17:13.80
"and there I will store
all my crops and my goods.
00:17:13.80\00:17:16.26
"And I will say to my soul,
00:17:16.26\00:17:18.13
"Soul, you have many
goods laid up for many years;
00:17:18.13\00:17:21.14
"take your ease;
eat, drink, and be merry.
00:17:21.14\00:17:24.64
But God said to him,
00:17:24.64\00:17:26.11
"Fool! This night your
soul will be required of you;
00:17:26.11\00:17:28.71
"then whose will those things
be which you have provided?"
00:17:28.71\00:17:31.61
In other words, your
stuff's going to somebody else.
00:17:31.61\00:17:35.18
It continues.
00:17:35.18\00:17:36.45
"So is he who lays
up treasure for himself,
00:17:36.45\00:17:39.25
"and is not rich toward God."
00:17:39.25\00:17:42.62
Here's the problem
that Jesus describes.
00:17:42.62\00:17:44.79
If you think your stuff
is the meaning of your life,
00:17:44.79\00:17:47.30
then you have no meaning when
your stuff is suddenly gone.
00:17:47.30\00:17:50.90
And someday, trust me,
your stuff will be gone.
00:17:50.90\00:17:54.54
If you think that
accolades and fame
00:17:54.54\00:17:57.04
are the meaning of life, then
your life becomes meaningless
00:17:57.04\00:17:59.94
when the world stops applauding.
00:17:59.94\00:18:01.08
And believe me, it will.
00:18:01.08\00:18:04.18
Half a day on social media
00:18:04.18\00:18:06.01
will teach you how fickle
celebrity can actually be.
00:18:06.01\00:18:09.92
At some point,
everything you own,
00:18:09.92\00:18:11.79
everything you've accomplished,
00:18:11.79\00:18:13.09
everything that
people praise you for,
00:18:13.09\00:18:15.79
it's going to be gone.
00:18:15.79\00:18:17.66
And then what?
00:18:17.66\00:18:18.89
At that point, what
does your life really mean?
00:18:18.89\00:18:22.56
"Take heed and beware of
covetousness", Jesus warned,
00:18:22.56\00:18:25.00
"for one's life does not consist
00:18:25.00\00:18:27.44
"in the abundance of
the things he possesses."
00:18:27.44\00:18:30.34
In the story
that Boethius tells,
00:18:31.51\00:18:33.24
Philosophy promises
to give back everything
00:18:33.24\00:18:35.61
if he can rightfully
claim it belongs to him.
00:18:35.61\00:18:39.11
And, of course, he can't
00:18:39.11\00:18:40.35
because even though
you and I have title deeds
00:18:40.35\00:18:43.12
and receipts to prove
ownership in this life,
00:18:43.12\00:18:46.32
none of us
actually owns anything.
00:18:46.32\00:18:48.26
I mean, you can
lay your hands on it,
00:18:48.26\00:18:49.49
you can claim
exclusive use for one lifetime,
00:18:49.49\00:18:53.03
but there's an
undefeatable clock on the wall
00:18:53.03\00:18:55.53
that says nothing
is actually yours.
00:18:55.53\00:18:58.90
And unless you understand that,
00:18:58.90\00:19:00.40
losing everything is
going to be very painful.
00:19:00.40\00:19:03.51
So, the Bible presents
another well-heeled, wealthy man
00:19:03.51\00:19:06.54
who suddenly loses
everything very unjustly
00:19:06.54\00:19:09.94
and here's what he says.
00:19:09.94\00:19:12.75
"Then Job arose, tore his
robe, and shaved his head;
00:19:12.75\00:19:16.08
"and he fell to the
ground and worshiped.
00:19:16.08\00:19:17.65
"And he said: Naked I
came from my mother's womb,
00:19:17.65\00:19:21.16
"and naked shall I return there.
00:19:21.16\00:19:23.22
"The Lord gave, and
the Lord has taken away;
00:19:23.22\00:19:25.79
"Blessed be the
name of the Lord."
00:19:25.79\00:19:28.73
In all this Job did not
sin nor charge God with wrong.
00:19:28.73\00:19:33.74
This guy understood
that he owned nothing,
00:19:34.90\00:19:36.20
which gave him the grace
00:19:36.20\00:19:37.97
and the peace of
mind under pressure
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.08
to acknowledge that
God had not done him wrong
00:19:40.08\00:19:42.44
at the very worst
moment of his life.
00:19:42.44\00:19:44.98
I'll be right back after this.
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.45
- [Voiceover] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:19:50.85\00:19:52.32
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:19:52.32\00:19:54.86
for the whole family,
00:19:54.86\00:19:56.32
like our audio adventure
series "Discovery Mountain".
00:19:56.32\00:19:59.39
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:19:59.39\00:20:01.46
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:20:01.46\00:20:03.93
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:20:03.93\00:20:06.57
from this small
mountain summer camp, pen down.
00:20:06.57\00:20:09.57
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:20:09.57\00:20:12.01
and fresh content every week,
00:20:12.01\00:20:14.54
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:20:14.54\00:20:17.71
- There's an important
passage in Ecclesiastes
00:20:20.58\00:20:22.88
that has the potential
00:20:22.88\00:20:24.12
to grant you peace
of mind even in chaos.
00:20:24.12\00:20:26.52
It's in chapter five.
00:20:26.52\00:20:28.49
It says, "There is a severe evil
00:20:28.49\00:20:30.73
"which I have
seen under the sun:
00:20:30.73\00:20:32.26
"Riches kept for
their owner to his hurt.
00:20:32.26\00:20:34.93
"But those riches
perish through misfortune,
00:20:34.93\00:20:37.20
"when he begets a son,
there is nothing in his hand.
00:20:37.20\00:20:40.24
"As he came from
his mother's womb,
00:20:40.24\00:20:42.17
"naked shall he
return, to go as he came;
00:20:42.17\00:20:44.87
"and he shall take
nothing from his labor
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.88
"which he may
carry away in his hand."
00:20:46.88\00:20:50.41
This is one of the biggest
themes you'll find in Boethius.
00:20:50.41\00:20:52.45
He finally understands
00:20:52.45\00:20:53.65
that nothing
actually belonged to him.
00:20:53.65\00:20:56.12
He might have used pagan
philosophers to make that point
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.39
but he was also a Christian
and I virtually guarantee
00:20:58.39\00:21:01.52
he knew about this passage
in the book of Ecclesiastes.
00:21:01.52\00:21:05.56
Boethius was treated unjustly,
00:21:05.56\00:21:07.86
robbed of all
his accomplishments,
00:21:07.86\00:21:09.36
his name dragged
through the mud without mercy,
00:21:09.36\00:21:13.27
and now he's going to die.
00:21:13.27\00:21:14.77
And he suddenly realizes that
people who have it very good
00:21:14.77\00:21:18.21
are ill-equipped
to deal with hardship.
00:21:18.21\00:21:20.74
He writes these words.
00:21:20.74\00:21:22.28
"...the most fortunate people
are also the most squeamish;
00:21:22.28\00:21:26.01
"being unused to any hardship,
00:21:26.01\00:21:27.75
"unless everything
comes to them on the nod
00:21:27.75\00:21:30.55
"they are floored by
the slightest difficulties."
00:21:30.55\00:21:34.52
Now you tell me that's not a
description of our generation.
00:21:34.52\00:21:37.46
Never has
anybody had it so good.
00:21:37.46\00:21:40.06
Even our poorest people here
in the West now live better,
00:21:40.06\00:21:43.26
more conveniently than at
any time in the world's history.
00:21:43.26\00:21:46.87
I mean, that's not to
say there are no problems
00:21:46.87\00:21:48.87
because there are but
our problems are smaller
00:21:48.87\00:21:53.17
than the stuff our
ancestors dealt with.
00:21:53.17\00:21:55.71
And yet somehow we see
00:21:55.71\00:21:57.01
more prone to
dissatisfaction and complaint
00:21:57.01\00:21:59.61
because we've come to believe
that fortune will always smile
00:21:59.61\00:22:03.25
and that the
world owes us something.
00:22:03.25\00:22:06.39
I'll take, for
example, the recent pandemic
00:22:06.39\00:22:08.29
where people started
to treat little things
00:22:08.29\00:22:10.33
as if they were
grave injustices.
00:22:10.33\00:22:12.89
Think about public health
orders like wearing a mask.
00:22:12.89\00:22:16.56
Whether or not
you believe those work
00:22:16.56\00:22:18.30
is completely beside the point.
00:22:18.30\00:22:20.87
What I want you to
notice is how little it took
00:22:20.87\00:22:23.87
to make us complain
00:22:23.87\00:22:25.04
and feel as if the
universe was against us.
00:22:25.04\00:22:27.78
By contrast, a lot of
our grandparents suffered
00:22:27.78\00:22:31.91
unimaginably in the
muddy trenches of Europe.
00:22:31.91\00:22:33.78
And I don't ever
remember my relatives
00:22:33.78\00:22:36.02
grumbling about the brutal
conditions of the labor camps.
00:22:36.02\00:22:40.39
Not even once.
00:22:40.39\00:22:42.39
It's a matter of perspective
00:22:42.39\00:22:43.89
and that's where
Boethius really shines,
00:22:43.89\00:22:45.76
at least in my opinion.
00:22:45.76\00:22:47.76
"If as a traveler on life's path
00:22:47.76\00:22:49.33
"you had first set out
with empty pockets", he writes,
00:22:49.33\00:22:52.27
"you could face the highwayman
with a song on your lips."
00:22:52.27\00:22:56.20
You know, all of us exchange
our lives for something.
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.77
For most of us that's money,
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.54
which is really just a
form of congealed life.
00:23:00.54\00:23:02.98
You exchange your hours for pay
00:23:02.98\00:23:04.75
which hopefully
accumulates in the bank.
00:23:04.75\00:23:08.05
And if somebody
takes that away from you,
00:23:08.05\00:23:09.28
it feels as if
they've stolen your life.
00:23:09.28\00:23:12.55
But if you remember that
you've always been naked,
00:23:12.55\00:23:14.89
that you don't
really own anything,
00:23:14.89\00:23:16.62
that might really
help when bad times come.
00:23:16.62\00:23:20.70
In the Bible, we
have the example of Christ
00:23:20.70\00:23:22.76
who abandoned all
the glories of heaven
00:23:22.76\00:23:24.47
to become a regular human being,
00:23:24.47\00:23:27.10
to the point where he
dies with absolutely nothing,
00:23:27.10\00:23:30.94
naked on a cross.
00:23:30.94\00:23:32.81
That's the example that
God sets in front of us.
00:23:34.01\00:23:36.34
And the book of Hebrews
says that Jesus did that
00:23:36.34\00:23:38.78
"...for the joy
that was set before Him."
00:23:38.78\00:23:42.08
Could it really be that
the path to joy is self-denial?
00:23:42.08\00:23:46.02
I know that
doesn't seem to make sense
00:23:46.02\00:23:48.06
but what if it's true?
00:23:48.06\00:23:50.93
Let me read you just one
more passage from Boethius
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.76
where he really cuts to
the heart of the matter.
00:23:53.76\00:23:56.00
This is Lady Philosophy asking
him a really tough question.
00:23:56.00\00:24:00.90
She says, "Have you
men no resources within you
00:24:00.90\00:24:04.11
"that you call your own,
seeing that you seek your goods
00:24:04.11\00:24:07.54
"in things external
and distinct from you?
00:24:07.54\00:24:10.41
"Has the world become so
topsy-turvy that a living
00:24:10.41\00:24:13.88
creature, "whom the
gift of reason makes divine,
00:24:13.88\00:24:16.58
"believes that his glory
00:24:16.58\00:24:17.99
"lies solely in
possession of lifeless goods?
00:24:17.99\00:24:21.96
"Other creatures are
content with what they have;
00:24:21.96\00:24:24.39
"but you, who are
godlike with your gift of mind,
00:24:24.39\00:24:27.23
"seek to embellish
your surpassing nature
00:24:27.23\00:24:29.63
"with the grubbiest of things,
00:24:29.63\00:24:31.80
"and in so doing
you fail to appreciate
00:24:31.80\00:24:33.70
"what an insult you
inflict on your Creator.
00:24:33.70\00:24:37.21
"He sought to
make the race of men
00:24:37.21\00:24:38.91
"superior to all earthly things,
00:24:38.91\00:24:40.84
"but you have
subordinated your dignity
00:24:40.84\00:24:43.24
"to the lowliest objects."
00:24:43.24\00:24:46.61
So, if you think
about what this means,
00:24:46.61\00:24:48.75
if you find
your worth in things,
00:24:48.75\00:24:51.05
what does that
actually say about you?
00:24:51.05\00:24:54.39
I mean, here we are
at the apex of creation
00:24:54.39\00:24:56.66
made in God's image
00:24:56.66\00:24:58.16
and we try to determine our
worth by counting our things?
00:24:58.16\00:25:01.30
It doesn't make sense.
00:25:01.30\00:25:03.00
In fact, what you're saying
is that the trinkets you own
00:25:03.00\00:25:05.63
are worth more than you,
00:25:05.63\00:25:08.47
and that's a completely
backward view of human nature.
00:25:08.47\00:25:12.07
I'll be right back after this.
00:25:12.07\00:25:14.21
- [Voiceover] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:25:16.18\00:25:18.88
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers
00:25:18.88\00:25:21.95
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.39
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:25:24.39\00:25:26.96
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:25:26.96\00:25:28.86
we've created the
"Discover Bible" guides
00:25:28.86\00:25:31.16
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:25:31.16\00:25:32.79
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:25:32.79\00:25:35.23
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions.
00:25:35.23\00:25:38.23
And they're absolutely free.
00:25:38.23\00:25:40.60
So, jump online
now or give us a call
00:25:40.60\00:25:42.47
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:25:42.47\00:25:45.17
- Boethius says that
making worldly things
00:25:47.91\00:25:49.48
the measure of your worth
00:25:49.48\00:25:50.75
is gonna leave
you bitter and broken.
00:25:50.75\00:25:53.28
He writes, "How
rampant is this error
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.95
"entertained by you humans
00:25:55.95\00:25:57.42
"in thinking that
anything can be enhanced
00:25:57.42\00:25:58.99
"by external adornment?"
00:25:58.99\00:26:01.79
It's the same principle you find
00:26:01.79\00:26:02.82
in the opening chapter of Romans
00:26:02.82\00:26:04.89
where Paul describes our
biggest problem like this.
00:26:04.89\00:26:06.96
He says, "Professing to
be wise, they became fools,
00:26:06.96\00:26:11.60
"and changed the glory
of the incorruptible God
00:26:11.60\00:26:14.07
"into an image made
like corruptible man,
00:26:14.07\00:26:17.24
"and birds and four-footed
animals and creeping things."
00:26:17.24\00:26:21.51
What we've done is
turn our attention away
00:26:22.61\00:26:25.18
from the actual center of our
being, away from our creator,
00:26:25.18\00:26:29.38
and we've put our
emphasis on stuff.
00:26:29.38\00:26:32.65
Paul is talking about
idolatry here in Romans,
00:26:32.65\00:26:35.52
the worship of mere creations.
00:26:35.52\00:26:38.03
And in a way,
that's what we're doing
00:26:38.03\00:26:39.19
when we find our
worth in good fortune.
00:26:39.19\00:26:42.96
But what the Bible teaches
00:26:42.96\00:26:44.47
is that your worth does not
depend on what happens to you.
00:26:44.47\00:26:47.87
I mean, this world even
turned on the Son of God.
00:26:47.87\00:26:51.87
And at that point,
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.38
the most important thing in
the world is to know for sure,
00:26:53.38\00:26:56.01
as it says in the book of Acts,
00:26:56.01\00:26:57.98
"...in Him we live and
move and have our being."
00:26:57.98\00:27:02.48
Naked you were born
and naked you will die.
00:27:03.62\00:27:06.55
And in between those two points,
00:27:06.55\00:27:08.02
you and I, it turns out,
were really naked all along.
00:27:08.02\00:27:11.93
You know, historically speaking,
00:27:11.93\00:27:13.16
there's a very
long list of Christians
00:27:13.16\00:27:15.56
who went to unjust deaths
00:27:15.56\00:27:18.03
but they had a
smile on their faces.
00:27:18.03\00:27:20.67
And you've got to wonder
00:27:20.67\00:27:21.97
what exactly they
found in this book.
00:27:21.97\00:27:25.61
Maybe, maybe it's time to
give this book another look
00:27:25.61\00:27:29.08
because we're all
going to face hardship
00:27:29.08\00:27:31.61
and we're all going to die.
00:27:31.61\00:27:33.78
And what's in your heart
and mind when that moment comes,
00:27:33.78\00:27:38.09
well, it's gonna make all
the difference in the world.
00:27:38.09\00:27:41.02
Thanks for joining
me, I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:27:41.02\00:27:43.32
This has been "Authentic".
00:27:43.32\00:27:45.96
[soft music]
00:27:45.96\00:27:50.93