JESUS, OUR SOLOMON

SATURDAY, FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME    

1 Kings 3:4-13; Ps 119:9-14; Mk 6:30-34

Eternal Wisdom, Our Shepherd

Solomon succeeded his father, David, after his death. Chronologically, he is the first ‘Son of David’ to rule after David; in this regard, he is a type of the Son of Man. Thus, he is called Solomon, which means ‘the man of peace’ or ‘the peaceful one.’ As a son who grew up before David, he heard and learnt of God from his Father David. King David, as we have reflected through the week, had God in his mind, heart, and mouth; he talked, composed songs, and sang of God; he showed forth the word and statutes of God by his behaviour, despite his occasional failures, as recorded in the scriptures. As David’s progeny, it is not surprising that Solomon came with some ready-made virtues. He did not learn about the importance of God’s word for man’s daily engagements and fulfilment in life. His name and demeanour show that God had a central place in his life. If he were truly the man of peace, then it follows that his mind and heart were well ordered from his age of reasoning, for no man knows peace who has not learnt to order things to their proper end; and no one can order things to their respective and proper ends who has not acquired wisdom. Since wisdom is only gained by our familiarity with God’s mind and purpose, Solomon must have become acquainted with the word of God from a tender age.

What the scripture says of him confirms this background about Solomon. His generous sacrifice to the God of his father is the first testimony to God’s place in his heart. “King Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, since that was the greatest of the high places—Solomon offered a thousand holocausts on that altar.” The sacrifice represents the true offering of his heart to God, which made God appear to him, promising to grant him whatever he desires. Being already enamoured of God, his request would only be for something related to or pleasing to God. As in this case, when God nudges us to ask that we will receive, he gives us the Holy Spirit, who is love, that he may guide us to pray aright. The love of God in Solomon guided him to ask for what is pleasing to God. “God said, ‘Ask what you would like me to give you.’ Solomon replied, ‘You showed great kindness to your servant David, my father, when he lived his life before you in faithfulness and justice and integrity of heart; … Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?’” God was pleased with his prayer because it was made in the Spirit and not under the impulses of the flesh or the desire of man. He prayed for the right gift to function as a king, which the Lord himself had given to him. The Lord does not refuse us the grace we need to carry out the work or duty he entrusted to us in life. We must pray with faith and in the Spirit for the grace we need.

 Solomon prayed for the gift he needed to rule and care for God’s people. The gift will make him a true son of David, for it is by acquiring wisdom, which is a gift we possess through meditation on the word of God, that we resemble Jesus Christ. Our Lord, who is the Eternal Wisdom, showed the fullness of this grace given to Solomon, for we see him fully engaged with teaching the people the will of God in the Gospel. The concern and desire of God to take care of his people are well expressed by our Lord when he saw the crowd eager to hear the word of God. “So as he stepped ashore, he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.” We have mentioned the effect of David’s life on Solomon, to which he referred above, but even more influential on his life was his mother, Beersheba. In fact, his throne is often regarded as a gift from his mother to him, because she not only planned and schemed for her son to succeed David, but she also prepared him for the kingly role. Hence, the groundwork for the wisdom that characterised Solomon’s youth and age and reign must have been the result of Beersheba’s hard work. The Blessed Virgin Mary played a similar role in the raising of the Son of Man and a similar role in our lives when we keep her company in the recitation of the Rosary and meditation on the mysteries of Christ’s life. She is the Seat of Wisdom, who is always found in her company.    

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honour you with our minds in deep humility, and love everyone in meekness of heart as our Saviour did. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.