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Today is the final Sunday in July, And the final Sunday in the summer sermon series on Kings and Queens in the Hebrew Scriptures. We have explored the words and witness of King David, Queens Esther and Deborah, and now, as you have already heard from the children’s message, the focus for today’s Scripture lesson and sermon is King Solomon. Solomon’s life and leadership comprise the first eleven chapters of the book of First Kings, beginning with the death of his famous father, King David. Solomon was the youngest son of David – Not the one to whom the crown usually is passed. But after a conversation - And, to be honest, some collusion – Between David’s friend, the prophet Nathan, And David’s wife, Bathsheba, Solomon is given the throne over his brother Adonijah. There’s some battling and scheming in the beginning of Solomon’s reign – and not without bloodshed at the command of the new king - but after several years, the Scripture tells us, “The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.” That’s where today’s lesson begins in 1st Kings. Let us listen for the Word of God, 1 Kings 3:3-15. Anthem: “Solomon’s Prayer,” written and sung by Liz Reed-Swale What do you pray for? When you are in the quiet of your room or this sanctuary, When you are walking the neighborhood or the beach, When you stop in the middle of the day in the middle of a project? What longings, hungers, petitions, and intercessions do you lift up to our God? Maybe your prayer requests have been like mine over the last weeks: Healing for folks suffering from cancer, Comfort for a friend grieving the death of her mother, Strength for a colleague making a transition in her ministry. I’ve asked for safety for those serving in the military and all those who live in war torn areas, And I’ve prayed for peace – right now, if you please God! - and for God to intercede in the Gulf Coast, so those effected will know that they are not alone. I’ve asked God to grant grace to members and friends of our church who struggle with health concerns, who are walking the road of recovery, who are unemployed. I asked God for inspiration for this – and other – sermons, and in a spirit of confession, I’ll admit I’ve also asked God for relief from the heat and a good parking space when I had to go to the mall when it was 100 degrees! In my own prayer, and in the prayers of others – in my office or in a hospital room or a rehab center, and even in this sanctuary, I’ve noticed when we pray, When we ask God for what we need, Our request is often for someone else – a family member, a co-worker, a church friend, a neighbor – one we know or a global neighbor they may have never met. These prayers connect us in a powerful way to God and others. And yet, I’ve begun to wonder why so many of us hesitate to ask for ourselves, for the things WE NEED to make our lives more whole and more holy, for living more fully and faithfully as God’s sons and daughters and as members of a community of faith. Is it because we don’t think our needs are as important as another? Is it because we don’t want to be selfish? Is it because to ask for something we need would mean looking honestly at our lives, something that’s hard for us to do? Or maybe because we think we can get by on our own; We can summon up courage, compassion or strength on our own. And besides, doesn’t God have more important things to do than attend to our needs? Friends, Our Scripture lesson today – Our God today – invites us to think about our prayer in a new way. Solomon – the great king Solomon – responds to God’s invitation that came to him in a dream. Ask, God says, Ask for what you need. Solomon considers the situation, his situation. He remembers God’s faithfulness to his father, King David, And then remembers that he has been called to serve God’s people. I need, he says, I need a wise and discerning heart. You might remember that the translation we read from this morning indicated a “wise and discerning mind.” However, in the Hebrew, the word lev shoma’e means a listening heart, the heart being the center of thought and will. But in heart or mind – Or maybe in heart and mind, Solomon asks God to grant him wisdom to do what is right and good. And here’s the important part – not just for himself, but for the life of his community. God agrees to grant Solomon his request, to help him govern the people - and in fact, makes him the wisest of all kings. In Biblical thinking, Scholar Dennis Bratcher says, “there is no such thing as a ‘self made man or woman.’” Wisdom and discernment are always gifts from God, Not the result of human achievement or striving. Solomon, it seems, even at his young age, Knew this well, And asked God for the gift he needed in order to be able to fulfill the task to which he had been called. Solomon – even though he doesn’t ask for them – also receives wealth and riches, But the Biblical text is clear here, too. These are also gifts from God – and they are secondary gifts. The first priority – For Solomon and for us – is to live life centered in God, centered on God’s call to love and serve. 1000 years after Solomon, One of his relatives reminded the people of his day that God invites them to ask for what they need. In Matthew’s gospel, Solomon is mentioned as the forbearer of Jesus. Jesus knew the story of his great relative and mentions him several times. He also echoes the same invitation God makes to Solomon. The words might be familiar to you; Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who searches, finds. And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Jesus reminds his disciples – then and now - to ask for what you need so that you can follow in the ways of love and justice, compassion and mercy. So, dear friends, What shall we pray for? What do you and I need? We are not kings – Or queens for that matter – But each of us has a role to play in the life our community and our world, So the world will hear and know the good news of Jesus Christ. Think for a moment. Maybe you need a deeper faith, Or a joyful attitude. An openness to change or renewed energy. Courage to speak more – Or patience to listen more. A generous heart or a forgiving spirit. What shall we pray for? Imagine how our life – Our individual life and our community life – Would be different if each day, And each time we gathered, We could ask for what we need for the sake of the good news and the sake of God’s people. Solomon asks. He receives. He goes to worship and throws a party. And then there is the rest of his story. Immediately after, Solomon uses his God-given wisdom. Two women are brought before him, with one child, both of whom claim it as their own. Solomon must decide who should get the child, And so he tells the women: I’ll divide the child in half. As soon as he says this, One of the women protests; The other woman is willing to allow the king to do as he proposes. Solomon knows then that the true mother is the one who will not let the child be harmed, and he gives the boy to his mother. Solomon continues to rule and build a great kingdom, Coalescing power and lands around him. He builds a great fortresses, Great palaces, And even a magnificent temple for God. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Solomon’s story ended here, At the pinnacle of power and wisdom and work for God. But one begins to see the cracks and fissures in Solomon’s character and story. The kingdom – And the temple as well – is built through the use of forced labor, through slaves. The Biblical text – like our lives – is complicated, filled with shades of gray. Solomon had been granted wisdom, But he didn’t always use it. His discerning heart became a divided one, And he began to worship foreign gods. He used his power for political gain and pleasure. He made alliances with other nations that put the most vulnerable in the community at even greater risk. Like his father, King David, and other Biblical characters, and, in fact, like most of us – Solomon is faithful and flawed, with a wise and wandering heart. And yet, here’s some good news for us: God is faithful, and over and over again, God seeks out Solomon – God seeks out each of us, inviting us to live as sons and daughters. God uses Solomon, And God uses us, imperfect, flawed, struggling human beigns, to be signs of goodness and grace. Friends, Let us pray for what we need and remember the promises of God: Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Amen. |