Today’s author is Prince of Peace member Gary Olson.
Text: 1 Kings 3:16-28
Solomon was very young and about to become King of Israel. Nervous and anxious about his readiness to take on that mountain of a life, he turned to God for help. God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon answered, “I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in….Give your servant…an understanding mind to govern your people….” God said to him, “I give you a wise and discerning mind.”
God gave him wisdom. A wonderful gift for any leader, for anyone no matter our place in life. It raises the question—“What kind of wisdom?” What kind of wisdom is God’s wisdom? We get more than clues in scripture about God’s kind of wisdom. We get illustrations. We get stories describing God’s kind of wisdom.
Engraving by Gustave Doré, 19th century.
The writer of 1Kings tells the story of two mothers who came to Solomon for a fair, or in one mother’s case, an unfair decision. It’s a familiar story showing Solomon’s wisdom. In this story Solomon uses a bit of trickery in order to discover which woman is the real mother. You probably know the story: One woman’s baby had died during the night and she switched her dead baby for the living one while the other woman was sleeping. The two argued before Solomon as to which was the mother of the living child. Since there was no witness to the switch of babies in the night, Solomon had no evidence upon which to make his decision. His solution? “Bring me a sword,” he said. Then, “Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one , and half to the other.” One woman was willing to have such a horror done. As for the other, the teller of this tale writes that she said, “Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!” Her love and compassion came alive and based on that, Solomon knew what to do. “Give” that woman “the living boy; she is his mother.”
The wisdom of God works through Solomon. On the basis of love expressed he saves a life. On the basis of a pleading compassion he protects a family. He enables wholeness and health to grow and to continue to become. He advocates for love and life and relationship. This is the wisdom of God given to Solomon.
This wisdom of God is much needed in our world, in our nation, in our lives. The wisdom of God is given not only to rulers and to the famous but to us as well. God’s wisdom invites the most everyday people to take hold of it.
Many years ago I wrote a poem about my stepdad:
The loneliest light ‘fore dawn is where he shaves.
It spills from open door onto the kitchen
floor. The coffee kettle is on the stove;
its grounds in boiled water will settle.
But first he’s in there, blade to throat and cheeks,
scraping soap away with whiskers. I wonder,
does he think while seeing himself reflected:
about the book he read while sipping
brandy at the table last night;
about the sacks of feed he’ll fill
and carry for others’ cattle;
what life would be if he had not
wed this bunch?
He pours the coffee through a strainer into
his Thermos, packs a lunch, and climbs the steps
to bedrooms. “Bob, Tim, Jamie, Pat—
it’s time for school. Breakfast is on the table!”
he yells. We stir and groan. He heads down
and out the door in Red Wing boots, grain-dust
jacket, lunch pail in hand, and walks. It’s
the everydayness of it that makes me think
there’s love in this, unspoken; love I did
not understand; don’t still entirely—
but marvel.
Gary K. Olson
The wisdom of God’s love, dependable, which raised me.
Dear Lord, you give us your love. Make us wise to be dependable in sharing it. Amen.