Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Yr 2 2026
Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsSolomon starts withe worship and only when God offers to him does he ask for what love requires, namely to be able to fulfill his main duty as leader. Jesus see the apostles tired and scattered and calls for a time of retreat and rest. When that is interrupted he sees the need of the crowd, but also of the apostles, and he teaches and then he feeds both the apostles and crowd from a seeming nothing. The apostles get to help. So we need to make worship our focus and take time off to rest in the presence of God. Also notice that God does not need our work, but allows us to participate, so make sure it is his work, not our thing. Third, we need to see with God’s/Jesus’ eyes to understand what is really needed.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
Ask for What Love Requires
Outline
Outline
In both these passages there is so much, but I will need to go beyond the passage to bring out part of what I think God is saying to us
Solomon had an opportunity
Solomon had an opportunity
He is newly enthroned and has gone to “the great high place” and made a magnificent offering. God, knowing his heart, make him an equally magnificent offer to give him what he requests. Solomon looks at the requirements of his office and asks, “Give your servant a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil.” He asks for the gift elsewhere called wisdom to do well what the duties of his office requires. God is pleased and agrees to the gift. Unfortunately for Solomon, he will be corrupted by God’s added gifts (“I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days.”) that he will break all three prohibitions of the Deuteronomic law of the king and the author of Kings will satirize his military strength and glory. He did well so long as he followed the way of love of God and his neighbor.
Jesus sees his apostles in need
Jesus sees his apostles in need
They are exhausted but still the people keep coming. Jesus does not say, “Thanks for the good report, now get back to work.” He says, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” And when the crowds get to the place of retreat before them and Jesus sees the need of the crowd, he does not tell the apostles, “I know you are tired, but get to work. All things are possible to him who believes.” Instead, he teaches the crowds, including the apostles, himself. And only when the disciples mention the material needs of the crowd (which they also had) does he show them divine provision which the apostles only distribute, but do not work for.
What do we see in these passages?
What do we see in these passages?
First, the divinely appointed leaders and teachers need, like Solomon, to seek God first and like the apostles to take time off and rest in the presence of God (for them in the presence of Christ).
Second, God does not need our work but allows us to participate in his work, so we had better be sure it is his work we are doing, not our own, that we are following him, not doing our own thing. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Third, see with Jesus’ eyes and then pray with Jesus. Solomon saw what God saw in the need for justice. Jesus saw the people as sheep without a shepherd and allowed the disciples to first see Jesus being the shepherd and then, at a later need, participate in handing out the food.
And may God bless you
