Understanding the Word

By Br. John R. Barker, OFM

King Solomon is known in the tradition for having unparalleled  wisdom. The Bible affirms that wisdom comes from God, it is not  a human creation. Accordingly, Solomon became wise because he  asked for the divine gift of wisdom. God, who might have expected  a human king to grasp for wealth or long life, instead receives a  request from Solomon for the wisdom to rule justly. Nothing could  be more pleasing to the divine will than a desire to serve God and  God’s people well and with integrity. Thus God readily accedes to  Solomon’s pious request. (And because Solomon did not ask for it,  God throws in wealth and the promise of long life.) 

Paul has been writing to the Romans about the hope of glory they  have as adopted children of God in Christ. This destiny has been  part of the divine plan from the beginning, and is achieved through  conformity to Christ, the exemplary human being. Those who are  called to this glory are first justified, the divine accomplishment in  Christ that has been the subject of much of the earlier part of the  letter. The point of this short section is to emphasize that God has  had things securely in hand from the beginning. All things work for  good for those who respond to the divine call to be conformed to  Christ, and thus justified, one day glorified.

Throughout Matthew’s Gospel Jesus has warned that entering the  kingdom of heaven is a challenging undertaking, and few persevere.  Yet persevere they must. Like a great treasure or a valuable pearl,  the kingdom is worth giving up everything else to “obtain.” The  invitation is open to everyone. Like a great net, it sweeps through the  world capturing everyone. Only those who refuse to conform their  lives to it will find themselves cast out. The kingdom is a gift but,  paradoxically, one that comes at a price. Those who understand this  are able to accept both his “new” teaching and recognize that it is a  reflection of the “old” teaching of the law and prophets (Matthew  5:17–20).

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