Archbishop of Sydney

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Solomon and Wisdom

St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
1 Kg 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8 :28-30; Mt 13:44-52

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
27/7/2008

The figure of Solomon, the son and successor of King David is a strong reminder that no possessions or attributes are necessarily permanent.  We should always be grateful for what we have and those of us who are able to stand should also be careful that we do not fall! This rather bleak beginning to my sermon is provoked by the fact that Solomon, traditionally recognized as the highest exponent of wisdom in the Jewish tradition, finished up his life as an apostate, who abandoned his worship of the one true God to follow false and foreign gods.

Solomon was king of Israel from about 970 B.C. to about 930 B.C., a period which saw Israel at the zenith of its power and prosperity.  We know much less about him than we know of his father King David, who nominated Solomon as his successor, rather than his eldest son Adonijah.

In the first reading we read of Solomon choosing wisdom rather than long life or riches or the destruction of his enemies.  God was pleased with this choice and gave him “a heart wise and shrewd as none before him”.  Solomon’s wisdom is exemplified in the story of the two women claiming to be the mother of the same child and Solomon recognizing the true mother as the one who refused to allow the baby to be cut in two with each claimant receiving half!

This wisdom was the reason why the authorship of the psalms and wisdom literature is ascribed to him, although we do not know how much of an historical foundation there is for these claims.  The Queen of Sheba came to greet him and test his wisdom.

He built the Temple of Jerusalem, an unfulfilled ambition of his father David, who began the preparations.  The temple lasted more then 370 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians.  Although not a large building, it was surrounded by huge courtyards and renowned for its beauty, its woodwork, white limestone, gold, silver, precious stones; and above all for the mysterious presence of God above the Ark in the Holy of Holies.  Only 90’ long and 30’ wide, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, where the Popes are elected, is an exact replica.

Solomon was also the first international Jewish merchant and financier using his Phoenician-built fleet for trading.

Religiously he was brought undone by the political marriages of convenience he entered with foreign wives from e.g. Egypt, the super power of the era, building pagan temples for them even in Jerusalem.  The author of 1 Kings saw this infidelity as the cause of his Kingdom dividing under Jeroboam, his pagan successor; a development helped along by his excessive taxation levels.

We are New Testament people, those who respect and build on the Old Testament writings, but interpret them in the light of the teachings of Christ and his apostles as found in the New Testament.  As Christians, followers of Christ, what is wisdom for us?

I often recount the story of a talkative businessman who sat next to me on a flight across Australia.  He talked a lot, was very frank, and tried to sell me a block of land.  He made one point however which was very interesting and the reason I have quoted him frequently.

He claimed that in business and in daily life what was crucial was to identify what are the few most important issues, and to find the correct answers or solutions to these.  When this was done well, he claimed that the myriad secondary problems fell into place.  I believe that he was right; that it is vital to identify what are the central questions and then to work out the correct answers.  It looks as though Solomon, for all his wisdom and accomplishments, was damaged by life, by his power and possessions,”lost the plot” as we might say, and lost his faith, no longer worshipped only the one true God.

I believe the three gospel stories we have today from Our Lord are spelling out the same basic approach as my airline acquaintance, but also identifying the most fundamental issues as those contained in Jesus’ teaching.

Christ’s teaching that the one true God loves us, that He is the Son of God, the Messiah and Redeemer who calls us to repent and believe; all this touches the most fundamental questions every person must answer.  Does God exist?  Is He interested in us?  Is God kind and reasonable?  Do we say yes to Christ and his message of faith, hope and love?

As I explain regularly, Christ did not claim that his message is like one of five or six equally good holiday packages and that we are free to pick and choose without any personal consequences following our choice.

No.  Jesus is saying that his call to conversion is like the treasure hidden in the field, like the pearl of great price; much more valuable than any host of alternative activities or choices.

To reject God is a great mistake; folly, perhaps innocent folly, but folly nonetheless.  To duck and avoid the God question, is also a mistake, totally unwise.

The third little parable also points out that immense personal consequences for this life and the next follow from our choice or acceptance of God and goodness.  There will be a final division, a moment of judgement for each one of us, with rewards for the good and faithful, including especially repentant sinners and punishment for those who knowingly rejected God and goodness.  This judgement is not an optional extra.

It is rudimentary wisdom to understand that we live under God and will be judged mercifully by Him, while it is higher wisdom to acknowledge in faith that the one true God loves each one of us and sent His only Son to teach and redeem us.

Let us pray that we shall all continue to be wise.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.