As a child, one of my favorite bedtime stories was an example of the wisdom of Solomon found in the children’s bible. While Solomon’s wisdom was not exactly what captured my attention back then, it is the focus of our first reading this weekend. God came to Solomon in a dream and offered him anything he desired. Rather than asking for wealth, fame, or power, Solomon asks for a heart that knows right from wrong. It sounds to me that Solomon was already pretty wise.
Building on that theme, we encounter more parables in our gospel reading. Jesus knew material things were appealing to people, so he used images that would grab our attention – a treasure, fine jewels, and a net full of the riches, but then redirects us to what our hearts truly desire – a relationship with the Almighty. Jesus uses ordinary examples, things to which people can relate, to teach us how God touches our lives in ordinary ways.
In the tradition of the time, a person had to earn a reward from God. Good things were seen as a blessing or reward from God and poverty, health challenges, or misfortune were seen as a punishment. But Jesus shakes up that line of thinking by introducing what we call grace. Jesus wants us to understand that God is not only for those who work hard, who are disciplined, but rather, God’s love is for everyone. God’s love is not an earned benefit; it is freely given. We respond to that love by doing the right thing, not the other way around.
The truth contained in these parables is that we are saved by God’s love for us – grace. It is God who has chosen us and who freely pours love into our lives. No matter what we do or how hard we might resist, we are still loved – there is nothing we can ever do to change that. The choice we have is how we to respond to that love and let it influence our actions and the choices we make every day.
This week, let us celebrate God’s grace in our lives by reflecting on God’s love for us and how we allow that love to influence our thoughts, words, and actions.
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forevermore.