Sermon for the 30th July 2023: 1 Kings 3 5-12

Reader Nelly Pareskevopoulou – St Paul’s Athens

May I speak in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In our Old Testament reading today we hear the story of King Solomon’s dream. Solomon was David’s son and was also called Jedidiah (Beloved of the Lord).  He built the First Temple of Jerusalem and is portrayed as wealthy, wise and powerful. He was the second son of David and Bathseba and his name means ‘peace’. He is the biblical king most known for his wisdom and is traditionally considered the author of several biblical books, including Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Sometimes in the Bible, God communicates to people in dreams. Some of them are symbolic (like the dreams in Daniel), and some involve explicit instructions from God. There are 21 dreams mentioned in the Bible, 10 of which occur in Genesis. Six dreamers are kings, one is a woman (Pontius Pilates’ wife) and two of the dreamers are named Joseph.

This dream takes place in Gibeon, which was located north of Jerusalem. The remains of Gibeon are located in the southern portion of the Palestinian village of Al-Jib.  In the dream God asks Solomon what he would like him to give him. A generous question for the young king, with a special meaning as he was not even the heir apparent. One would expect Solomon to ask for something material: luxury, power, a long reign. Instead of which, he shows great wisdom and faith. He praised God’s actions “You have shown great and steadfast love”, humility “I am only a little child” Solomon was only 20 years old at that time.

Solomon also implicitly acknowledges that requests for wordly security would violate previous warnings given both from Moses in Deuteronomy and by Samuel, who emphasize that kings should not accumulate riches. Solomon asks God for ‘an understanding mind to govern you people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’ Solomon knows that an understanding mind is more valuable than traditional signs of kingship. He also integrates morality and asks for goodness in order to perpetuate God’s sovereignty.

God is pleased with Solomon’s answer and commends him for not requesting riches and safety from enemies, which would have been natural. In addition, he promises him riches and honor as a blessing for his good faith. It is important to note that in Solomon’s time riches were not what we consider today. Riches for Solomon’s agrarian kingdom meant an abundant harvest, protection from pestilence and enough rain.
There are various instances in the Bible of humans asking God for something. In the Old Testament it seems that God appeared more often to humans, either in dreams or in visions and had meaningful conversations with them.  Wisdom of course is an important prerequisite for a young ruler in those times. Solomon already shows wisdom in asking God for something which would serve others and not for his own personal glory or satisfaction. He has his priorities right. He knew his answer would carry profound consequences and the fact that he gave God the right answer shows that his faith and devotion were deep.

 

Solomon chose we over me. He realized that he was part of the greater we and so he asked for something which would benefit his people, through his wise ruling. This is a choice many of us face in our lives. How many times do we remember that we are part of a whole, that everything that happens anywhere concerns us all.? We are not isolated entities, we are part of something much larger than our small and insignificant selves.  The body of Christ includes everybody and everything. It means that my neighbour’s pain is also mine, it means that we share somebody else’s loss or bereavement, it means that nothing really belongs to us only. Whether it be joy or despair it touches us all. The destruction of nature in the terrible recent fires concerns us all. The devastation of the mothers of the two young pilots killed while trying to put out the fire in Evia, is also ours.  Nature is our home. By destroying the environment we are destroying ourselves. Everything is part of God’s creation. There is no distinction, geographical, ethnical or cultural.  Only by putting ourselves in the others place can we ever hope to actually live in a Christlike way.

Romans 12: 4-5

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another”.
This concept is mentioned also in today’s Gospel reading. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”. A tiny seed becomes a tree, in which the birds make their home. Everything has been created in wisdom. Everything in God’s creation is connected.

Psalm 8:1 (NIV)

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.”

Amen