A Lily Wiser Than Solomon

Trinity 15

September 16, 2012

Content in Christ

A Lily Wiser Than Solomon

Matthew 6:28-29

In name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus pointed out Solomon's splendor when talking about being content, because Solomon tried to serve two masters: God and money. Even though he had everything, he wasn't content.

He had wisdom.

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man… 

And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1 Kings 4:29-34)

He had wealth.

All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. (1 Kings 10:21-25)

But the good gifts of wisdom, fame, and money with which the Lord had blessed Solomon were not enough. He had married many women, many of whom worshiped false gods. He began worshiping these idols, because he was only content when he served his own needs. In the end he was his own idol, his own master. He served himself.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. (1 Kings 11:9)

Jesus contrasted this great man of history with a flower.

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28-29)

Flowers are blessed with wisdom and contentment because they can't pretend that they are the reason for their own beauty. On the other hand, we pretend all the time.

We pretend that our money is ours. We may know that we have our money because God gives us jobs and parents, but we still manage to pretend that the money has become ours and we can use it as we like. We use it on the newest iPhone and TV and clothes that we don't need, because the money is ours.

Time belongs to us. We work for the weekend. The end of the world happens once a week: Friday. Heaven is Friday night, and Saturday, and Sunday morning. Sunday night is gloomy, and Monday morning is hell, when you live as though time belongs to you and that you can control it.

Contentment is out of the question, when you treat money and time as though it's yours. You might enjoy the illusion of possession for a while, but it never lasts. If anyone could have been truly content through the control of money and time, it would have been Solomon. But his life ended with turmoil in his life and in his kingdom.

Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes, which begins,

“Meaningless! Meaningless!… Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

Wisdom, money, even fame are gifts that are good when we don't pretend they belong to us and we use them to help others. Jesus doesn't need your wisdom, money, and time, but your neighbor does. And treating your good things as they truly are—gifts from Jesus—is the source of lasting contentment. And it starts on His cross.

Christ's cross washes away our sin, including our desire to pretend that money and time belong to us. The cross confesses that we are beggars with nothing to offer, so that all you have is a gift.

And by faith in His cross for us, we take the money we have and the time we are given and share them. First with our family, then with others. We spend our time and money by first asking ourselves, “What is the best way to use Jesus' money and time for the needs and benefit of my spouse and children, and then others?” You can answer that question as you live in the shadow of the cross. And even though your inner Solomon will howl at the answers and even win the day, you still live under the cross and live as a forgiven Solomon and a wise lily.

We don't pretend. It belongs to Jesus. And we live accordingly: forgiven, forgiving, and giving.

In the name of the Father of the + Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.