A need for wisdom 2024 08 18 Proper 15/ Pentecost 13B

2024  08  18  Proper 15 Pentecost 13B

1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14;  Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:11-21; John 6:51-58

 

I don’t think anyone would dispute that we live in complicated times.  We need only look at the social media comments and divisions over some significant events in the Olympics to realize that there exists a need for the wisdom of Solomon.  We’ve had divisions over race and religion in every country and there is always a call for justice and truth- but each side believes they ARE the ones on the side of justice and truth.  How can that be?  And where is the truth?  Who can lead this great people?  We could well understand that anyone taking on any leadership position in this current climate, may feel completely overwhelmed at the magnitude.  I might add, that if they don’t – beware of that person.  They are either an ignorant fool, or a narcissistic tyrant.

 

In our Old Testament reading we discover that King David has died and his son, Solomon is now king.  We discover that King Solomon is a good man who loves God, but the exception to his “goodness” was that he sacrificed and offered incense at the “high places”.  These places and practises were associated with pagan gods and Solomon had married an Egyptian princess, so it is possible that this was out of respect for her…. Or maybe he was hedging his bets.  The high places existed in Israel, because other Israelites were using these places too and also practising a kind of compromise.  They were God’s chosen people, but they were sacrificing to other gods also.

 

At this time, Solomon has a dream in which God comes and speaks to him.  Here we find out that Solomon was neither a fool nor a narcissist, but was humble.  He was concerned with being a good king, like his father David, and wanted to diligently lead the people of which God had put him in charge. God answered Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, but also added riches and long life.   The moral to the story is that God will abundantly reward, and delights to give good gifts to his people, but seek first the kingdom of God. 

 

Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us; “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”  We need the wisdom of Solomon.  In fact, I have always thought, we need the heart of King David and the wisdom of King Solomon. 

 

The heart of King David was a heart of compassion, justice and mercy.  In fact, last week we read about how one of King David’s son’s, rose up against him and King David would have been happy to have died in his place.  He was happy to die for his son who wanted have him killed.   Does this sound familiar?  Jesus is God the son who came and died for us… for those who crucified him.

 

Just as the heart of King David was God’s own heart, the wisdom of King Solomon was God’s own wisdom.  We need this wisdom, and King Solomon certainly needed God’s wisdom, so he asked God for it.  Do you ever lament over decision making and wish you had the wisdom of God?  My daughter and I often lament how we have difficulty making decisions.  Should we have the chocolate brownie or the blondie?  And sometimes more important decisions too!!  The scriptures tell us; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding…”  In other words, if we practise the fear of the LORD we will at least have a good understanding.  But what exactly is that?

 

This word, “Fear”, is one that is often discussed, as the original Hebrew language is rich with connection to meaning which we miss in the translation.  It is rightly translated fear, but holds within it the awe that we might experience when looking out from a high mountain.  Hebrew4christiains.com explains that the sages link the word for fear with the word for seeing and they say that when we see life as it is, we will be filled with wonder and awe of the glory of it all.  Every bush will be aflame with the presence of God and the ground that we walk upon shall suddenly be perceived as holy.  In this sense, fear and trembling before the LORD is a description of the inner awareness of the sanctity of life itself.

 

We, the children of God, don’t have a terrible fear of God, but an understanding that THIS IS GOD  - God who parted the Red Sea… who healed the lame and blind- who raised the dead and who rose from the dead… the God who created everything out of nothing.  This fear and awe of God brings about a seeing of the sanctity of life itself.  This “seeing” brings understanding and wisdom, and we know also, wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

All of our readings today are about how to live so that we can live a good and wholesome life.  Not just in eternity, because that eternity begins right here and now.  In fact, our eternal life begins with us accepting the truth and ways of God. 

 

Now, this accepting has to be more than being in agreement.  I can hear a motivational speaker on television tell me that I need to exercise for my health and I can agree and accept what they say, but unless I put that belief into action, the belief is of no real benefit for me, except that I’m in agreement with the truth.  Our life, and our spiritual life is the same.  We can have the wisdom of Solomon and know about many things… they say that he named plants and knew many things about nature and animals… but unless we actually apply that wisdom and incorporate it into our life, it is of very little benefit.

 

I use the word INCORPORATE quite deliberately.  We know what it means, but looking at the etymology of the word we find that it means to participate in body.  Jesus said to the people, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man (ie – body) and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”  At a glance this seems crazy.  What does he mean?   But looking at the etymology of the word INCORPORATE, this takes on new meaning.  We need to incorporate the life of Jesus into our body.  We can agree that God is good and that he sent his son to atone for our sins, but to really have the life of God…. To have eternal life, we need to completely take that body of Christ and incorporate it into our lives.

 

We use signs and symbols to help us understand what God does in our lives.  We use the water as the symbol of baptism, as this is our spiritual birth – Just like a baby grows surrounded by water in the womb - but we use the bread and wine as a most sacred sign of the sacrifice of Jesus and that we are accepting his life and desire to incorporate his life into our own.  If we do not do this, Jesus tells us, we have no life in us.  This is our challenge.  The gift of God is free and easy to obtain… God gives it freely, but we need to maintain that gift by incorporating it into our life.  Just as partaking of bread and wine means that those elements are now inseparable from us, the very essence of Jesus’ life becomes part of us - inseparable.

 

This year, as we reflect on how life can be so very complicated, we recognise that we need divine help to navigate life.  In every moment we have a choice; rely on ourselves, or turn to God as our source of wisdom, our source of life… we are offered abundant life here and now and abundant eternal life… and it is offered with the words, “Body of Christ, keep you in eternal life.” We respond with the word, “Amen” – meaning YES, so be it.