20220209 TRUE WISDOM IS MANIFESTED IN RIGHTEOUS LIVING
09 February, 2022, Wednesday, Week 5 in Ordinary Time
First reading | 1 Kings 10:1-10 © |
Solomon prays to the Lord in the Temple
The fame of Solomon having reached the queen of Sheba, she came to test him with difficult questions. She brought immense riches to Jerusalem with her, camels laden with spices, great quantities of gold, and precious stones. On coming to Solomon, she opened her mind freely to him; and Solomon had an answer for all her questions, not one of them was too obscure for the king to expound. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the accommodation for his officials, the organisation of his staff and the way they were dressed, his cup-bearers, and the holocausts he offered in the Temple of the Lord, it left her breathless, and she said to the king, ‘What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom was true, then! Until I came and saw it with my own eyes I could not believe what they told me, but clearly they told me less than half: for wisdom and prosperity you surpass the report I heard. How happy your wives are! How happy are these servants of yours who wait on you always and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God who has granted you his favour, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s everlasting love for Israel, he has made you king to deal out law and justice.’ And she presented the king with a hundred and twenty talents of gold and great quantities of spices and precious stones; no such wealth of spices ever came again as those given to King Solomon by the queen of Sheba.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 36(37):5-6,30-31,39-40 © |
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
Commit your life to the Lord,
trust in him and he will act,
so that your justice breaks forth like the light,
your cause like the noon-day sun.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom
and his lips speak what is right;
the law of his God is in his heart,
his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,
their stronghold in time of distress.
The Lord helps them and delivers them
and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.2Tim1:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn17:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 7:14-23 © |
It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean
Jesus called the people to him and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
When he had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, ‘It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’
TRUE WISDOM IS MANIFESTED IN RIGHTEOUS LIVING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Kgs 10:1-10; Ps 37:5-6,30-31,39-40; Mk 7:14-23]
How would you regard a person as wise? Very often, we think that a wise person is one who understands many things and able to judge rightly. Indeed, more than knowledge, wisdom enables a person to judge matters in life rightly and justly. This is what the psalmist says, “The just man’s mouth utters wisdom and his lips speak what is right; the law of his God is in his heart, his steps shall be saved from stumbling.” If Solomon is considered wise in the Old Testament, it was because he acted justly and rendered justice to those who came to him for judgment, and those who worked under him.
Indeed, when the Lord asked Solomon what he desired, he said, “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” (1 Kg 3:9) Wisdom enables us to distinguish good from evil, right from wrong. Unless we are aware of what goodness and truth entails, we will act unjustly and selfishly. Consequently, we see Solomon right from the outset of his kingship exercising his wisdom by delivering a just judgment on two women who claimed the same baby to be hers when the other one died. We call Solomon wise only because he judged wisely. Solomon reflected God’s love by maintaining justice and righteousness in the land, the very gift Solomon had requested off God.
This was the same compliment that the Queen of Sheba gave after meeting Solomon. “When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the accommodation for his officials, the organisation of his staff and the way they were dressed, his cup bearers, it left her breathless, and she said to the king, ‘What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom was true, then!” In her estimation, the wisdom of Solomon was reflected in how he managed his palace and his kingdom. He looked after the welfare of his officials and staff by providing them good accommodation, proper dignified clothing and food. Solomon did not care only for himself but for those people he worked with. He knew that unless, he looked after the welfare of his officials and staff well, they would not be able to serve him with loyalty and commitment. She commented, “How happy your wives are! How happy are these servants of yours who wait on you always and hear your wisdom!”
This brings us to the second dimension of wisdom which is rooted in God’s wisdom. Solomon was wise because he knew that God is the source of all wisdom. He put God first in his life. The psalmist says, “Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun.” The Queen saw the generosity and extravagant holocausts which he offered in the Temple of the Lord, leaving her breathless. She was overwhelmed by Solomon’s faith in God. So much so, she concluded that it was because of Solomon’s God that he was so blessed and so wise. She concluded by saying, “Because of the Lord’s everlasting love for Israel, he has made you king to deal out law and justice. Blessed be the Lord your God who has granted you his favour, setting you on the throne of Israel!” The Queen of Sheba recognized that only a great God could make Solomon so great a king. She herself had heard how Israel’s God protected His king. Indeed, God ruled Israel, and God blessed obedient Israelite kings.
Thirdly, the wisdom that the Queen sought was more than intellectual knowledge and even justice, she was seeking the hidden truths of life and seeking spiritual insight from one famous for possessing the Lord’s wisdom. If Solomon was wise, it was because of his devotion to the Lord. God granted him insight into the workings of human nature, the truths of life and faith. Indeed, he was regarded as the author of the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, both of which offer practical reflections on the realities and truths of life.
In the gospel, wisdom in the understanding of Jesus is the right application of the divine laws. The religious leaders of the day had the laws and even knew and studied the laws. But they applied them rigidly, failing to understand the spirit and the contextual application of the laws. Indeed, many of the laws of Moses would not be applicable today in our context because the social, economic and religious circumstances have changed. Most of the laws other than the Decalogue are only applicable to the specific situation during that time. To apply them without adjustment or taking into consideration the changing circumstances would do injustice to the intention and the spirit of the law. This is particularly so with regard to ritual laws.
Jesus in the gospel showed the irrelevance of the handwashing ritual. In itself, of course, it is a useful practice for the sake of hygiene. However, just observing them alone or not observing them does not make us holy or unholy in any way. Jesus made a startling statement in His observation. “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.” In declaring that nothing that goes into a man can defile him, is obvious. But this contradicts the teaching of Leviticus which provides an exhaustive list of animals that are unclean and may not be used for food. (Lev 11) This was taken seriously so much so that during the Maccabean times, when the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, in his determination to root out the Jewish faith, forced the people to eat pork, many chose to die rather than be defiled. (1 Mc 1:62-63.) Hence, it was shocking for the Jews because many had suffered and died for ritual purity.
Yet, the truth is as the Lord said, “It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” Again, wisdom is defined in terms of justice and righteousness. It is not about what we eat or dress that will define us but what is in our heart. What makes us miserable is not the external dressing or eating but whether our heart is one of compassion, love and justice. When we are full of evil, selfishness, greed, lust and anger, we can be dressing and eating well, it does not mean that we are happy. Thus, food cannot defile us but what defiles us is the actions that come from an evil heart.
What truly matters is the inside of a person. Thoughts and actions flow from the mind and heart. So it is critical to ask ourselves what kind of heart and mind we have. When our heart is corrupt, we will live a life of injustice leading to misery. This is why we need to turn to the Lord who can purify our heart and mind. It is His death on the cross, His sacrifice that can purify and sanctify us. Only Jesus can give us the Holy Spirit so that we may have a new heart. In His sacrifice on the cross, He pours forth His Spirit into our hearts. As King David prayed, “You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.” (Ps 51:6,7-10,11)
Indeed, Jesus shows Himself to be the divine wisdom. Earlier on, He showed His sovereign and divine authority by restating the Sabbath Law when He declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mk 2.28). He could change the laws only because, “the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” (Mt 12:8) He made it clear that what God desires is mercy not sacrifice. (Mt 12:6) So true wisdom goes beyond fulfilling the laws, and even justice but seen in righteous living, self-sacrifice and compassion for the weak. The psalmist says, “Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun.” This is divine wisdom.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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