The saga of history both sacred and secular is strewn with the wreckage of men and women who deceived themselves into thinking that money can buy anything—success, love, happiness. During this past week in the current U.S. presidential campaign, just the opposite has been demonstrated.
What follows is not a condemnation or endorsement of any political candidate or platform, only an invitation to reflect on the limitations of material affluence in the human story, whether in the temporal or the spiritual realm.
Not For Sale
The notion that money decides everything so far as electoral politics is concerned has been a longstanding and popular feature of public cynicism in the American political process, and likely in other countries as well. More than a few across the decades have assumed that “we’ll always have the best government money can buy.”
During the past few days, that assumption took a big hit.
Until this week, the 2020 race for the Democratic party’s nomination for President of the United States included two billionaires who outspent their rivals with vast amounts of their own money. One of these was Tom Steyer, a California-based businessman who spent more than $250 million of his own money before dropping out in the wake of the South Carolina primary on February 29, having not won a single convention delegate for all the money he spent [1].
And then there was Michael Bloomberg, worth at least $60 billion in personal wealth, who lavished over $550 million in television ads and campaign infrastructure [2]. In the fourteen contests held on March 3, known as “Super Tuesday,” he has gathered—as of this writing—a scant 44 delegates, spending at least $4 million for each delegate won [3]. Like Steyer, he has now withdrawn from the presidential race.
By contrast, former Vice-President Joe Biden, who had less money to spend than nearly all his opponents, won decisively in both the South Carolina primary and in most of the states that voted on Super Tuesday. In some of the states he won, he didn’t even visit or hold any campaign events. The media and pundits all thought he was finished. Without big money, they said, how can he expect to win? Doesn’t money decide every election? the cynics ask so often.
It isn’t the first time they’ve been proved wrong. Those with long political memories can recall the woman who became known as the “$11 million dollar delegate” [4], the only convention delegate won by former Texas Governor John Connally, who had raised more money than any of his rivals for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination. He, too, was forced into an early departure from the contest. For all the millions he raised and lavished on his campaign, all he got was just one delegate.
Once again, the point here isn’t to exalt or endorse any candidate, political party, or political philosophy. Rather, the point is to underscore what is probably the biggest lesson in the past political week, which can be summarized by the single statement: No vote can be purchased if it isn’t for sale.
Spiritual Lessons
It isn’t hard to recall those Bible characters who thought material wealth was worth sacrificing anything in order to secure. We think of Achan, who kept part of the spoil of Jericho to which he had no right. We recall Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, who seemed to think getting silver and expensive garments—even if he had to lie to do it—was more important than rejoicing in the physical healing and spiritual conversion of a prominent pagan military leader. We can’t help remembering Ananias and Sapphira, who thought they could fool the Lord in keeping back part of the pledge they had publicly made for the support of the gospel.
And then, of course, who can forget the supreme example of all—Judas Iscariot, who surrendered his Master to a cruel death for a scant thirty pieces of silver. More than a few have likely wondered why he didn’t demand more. (Desperate as the Jewish rulers were to be rid of Jesus, they might well have been willing to give the betrayer several talents of gold in exchange for the information he proffered.) But then, how many of us have sacrificed our integrity for much less? How often have we entered bad relationships, lost our spiritual dignity, or joined in wrongful actions for the sake of fleeting pleasure or social acceptance?
Conclusion
It may not be often that we get good news or positive spiritual admonition from the secular political world. But if what we witnessed this past week in the 2020 presidential campaign bequeaths any spiritual lesson, it is the fact that money can’t purchase what isn’t for sale. Let us pray the same holds true for our consecration to God and adherence to His Word. Again we are constrained to ponder the immortal truth of the following, well-known inspired statement:
The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall [5].
REFERENCES
1. “All Ton Steyer’s Money,” Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2020 https://www.wsj.com/articles/all-tom-steyers-money-11583194985
2. Marty Johnson, “Bloomberg drops out after terrible Super Tuesday, endorses Biden,” The Hill, March 4, 2020 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/485498-bloomberg-drops-out-of-2020-race
3. Ibid.
4. “John Connally,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Connally#Presidential_run
5. Ellen G. White, Education, p. 57.
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan