I had fun preaching this sermon. Because we had a Young Adult Volunteer from the church sharing about what she has been doing in the last year and what she will be doing in the next year, I considered it a "live" illustration the congregation would receive after the sermon. I think that worked well holistically for those gathered for worship.
I really liked the "listening heart" insight Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann. It changed how I approached and understood the text, and allowed me to build on the image of God as the one who cares for the widows, orphans and powerless and sends us to care for them.
The reference to a comedian and a script writer worked better in my mind than it seemed to work for the congregation. I could have told a joke about three wishes and a genie, but all the jokes I know like that seemed to stereotype women/men or husbands/wives in ways I decided I did not want to do from the pulpit! If I had found a good joke to use, it might have worked better.
“Living the Dream” August 19, 2018, SAPC, Denton; I Kings 3: 15-28; Richard B. Culp
I Kings 3: 15 Then Solomon awoke; it had been a dream. He came to Jerusalem where he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings and offerings of well-being, and provided a feast for all his servants.
16 Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together; there was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. 19 Then this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your servant slept. She laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, I saw that he was dead; but when I looked at him closely in the morning, clearly it was not the son I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living son is mine, and the dead son is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead son is yours, and the living son is mine.” So they argued before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; while the other says, ‘Not so! Your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” 24 So the king said, “Bring me a sword,” and they brought a sword before the king. 25 The king said, “Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other.” 26 But the woman whose son was alive said to the king—because compassion for her son burned within her—“Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!” The other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” 27 Then the king responded: “Give the first woman the living boy; do not kill him. She is his mother.” 28 All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice.
Introduction: We began the summer with Samuel, the last great judge, who anointed Saul and David to be king.
We spent most of the summer dealing with those two, particularly David.
Now, we will finish the summer in Samuel and Kings with a couple of weeks of Solomon.
Under Solomon’s leadership, Israel reaches perhaps its greatest heights as a world power.
And, as the opening verse of the first reading today noted, Solomon was recognized as loving the Lord (although do not miss that we are also told that Solomon “offered incense at the high places,” which was a huge religion sin.
Bottom line - Solomon, like his father David, is a powerful, successful king (at least by the world’s standards), who was also a flawed person.
Move 1: In many ways, Solomon’s power begins with a dream.
a. Solomon’s political power may have come from marrying right and his leadership skills, but Solomon’s moral authority and theological foundation came from a dream in which God offers him a wish.
1. If i were a comedian, it would be more like three wishes from a genie; the wishes would be about the person and his or her predicament in life; and it would end with a funny punch line.
2. If I were a script writer, it would be like the Disney’s version of “Aladdin” and a story would unfold as the three wishes were played out. And, of course, the three wishes would be about the person and what would benefit the person (to read more about Solomon’s request and the Aladdin story see http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-15b/?type=old_testament_lectionary; Stan Mast)
3. But, alas, I am but a preacher, so the story sticks to the biblical texts, there is one wish for Solomon, and instead of asking for his something that will give him wealth, or power, he asks for an “understanding mind.”
4. We often equate that with “wisdom,” since when Solomon puts it to use he makes what others observe is a wise decision, but Solomon literally asks for a “listening heart”(https://www.huffingtonpost.com/walter-brueggemann/i-kings-2-10-12-3-3-14-who-will-be-americas-next-leader_b_1776777.html; Walter Brueggemann)
b. A “listening heart.”
1. The request fits the context - Solomon’s request is modeled after the the God who hears the cries of the people; the God who rescues those in need; the God who has special concern for the powerless.
2. the God who again and again shows a listening heart is asked by Solomon to give him a listening heart to use in his role as king.
3. As Solomon discovers, the blessings he receives far exceed a listening heart.
4. Solomon will again and again look to all his riches and power and see them as blessings from God, but the first gift from God is a listening heart.
5. Put that part of the story in your memory banks - the first gift was a listening heart.
Move 2: This story also highlights how Solomon acts on the dream.
a. Solomon does not just ask for a gift and then forget about the gift God gives.
1. he uses his gift from God.
2. We see it in his decision when two women approach.
3. Arguing over whose baby it is.
4. Solomon comes up with a brilliant way to determine who the actual mother is.
5. Everyone applauds his wisdom and takes great pride that their king is so wise.
b. But maybe instead of applauding Solomon’s wisdom, we should see in his decision a his listening heart.
1. the decision is not just wise.
2. Solomon hears the cry of the mother whose child could be cut in half.
3. Solomon is moved by the love of a mother who will give up her child, instead of having her child killed.
4. Solomon reveals a wisdom that grows out fo a listening heart.
c. Do not miss that Solomon uses the gift God gives him.
1. Think about your own life - have you ever asked God to give you an ability or a gift?
2. or evaluated your life and noted the gifts God has given you?
3. How are you doing putting those gifts, those blessing to work?
d. For our Minute for Mission today, Laurie Lamonica is going to share about the Young adult Volunteer program of the Presbyterian Church.
1. As she went through the process, I know she prayed for God’s guidance and for God’s blessing.
2. Then, she acted when God answered.
3. Part of our church’s responsibility is to provide opportunities for people to put their gifts to use, to help them live out the calling to which God has called them.
4. And, of course, as disciples of Christ, we are continually challenged to step out in faith and use the gifts God has given us.
5. Solomon asked for a gift from God and used the gift from God.
Move 3: What if the dream becomes a nightmare?
a. if we read Solomon’s story to the end, we discover his dream turns bad.
1. The biblical text will tell stories of palace intrigue;
2. conscripted labor that turns the people against Solomon;
3. Too many foreign wives;
4. Perhaps the greatest of all sins from a theological perspective, worshiping other gods in the high places.
b. Solomon amasses riches and power, but somehow loses the dream from which he started.
1. I suspect if he had paid more attention to listening heart had heard the cry of the widows for justice, and the orphans begging for love, and the sinners crying out for forgiveness, the powerless asking for grace, he might been focused less on his power and more on God’s desires (read more about this concept at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/walter-brueggemann/i-kings-2-10-12-3-3-14-who-will-be-americas-next-leader_b_1776777.html; Walter Brueggemann)
2. we, of course, can see Solomon’s flaws because we recognize them as our own.
Conclusion: Solomon began with a dream of using God’s gift to serve God’s people.
A dream worth living.
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