Commentary – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
October 11, 2015
First Reading – Wisdom 7.7-11
I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.
Commentary
Much of the text we have just heard could have been written by a non- believing Greek philosopher: “I preferred her (Wisdom) to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.”
Of course, one does not need to have faith to express such thoughts. Humanity did not wait for the Bible and the religion of the God of Israel to discover that the treasures of the mind and the heart are better than all the gold and jewels of the world.
However, the point of this text is elsewhere. It is not a lesson on how to live the good life, even if it is a beneficial lesson. Its message is deciphered by reading between the lines. Allow me to explain: the book of Wisdom showcases King Solomon and it is he who is supposedly speaking these lines. To grasp what Solomon wants to tell us, we must recall a well-known episode of his life (1 Kings 3). It takes place at the very beginning of his reign. After some major court intrigues and the settling of accounts, Solomon is finally installed on the throne and all of his political enemies are removed. He will soon build the Temple of Jerusalem, but for now, it is in Gibeon, twelve kilometers north of Jerusalem that he is organizing the first major event of his reign. He plans to offer a sacrifice of a thousand animals, which would obviously have to be done over a number of days; therefore we can assume that he slept at Gibeon, since it is during the night that he has a dream that has remained famous. God appears to him and says, “Whatever you ask I shall give you.” Solomon replies, “I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act - I, your servant, among the people you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. ... Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?” The Bible account continues: “The Lord was pleased by Solomon’s request. So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right— I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days” (1 Kings 3.4-13; 2 Chronicles 1.7-13)
If, nine hundred years later, the Book of Wisdom recalls this episode (in today’s reading), it is not in order to give a history lesson on Solomon; it is because its author has something very important to say to his contemporaries. He devotes several chapters to his message. When he cites Salomon saying “I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me”, he is aiming his words at the powerful of this world: from time immemorial those in power have somewhat tended to believe that they have innate wisdom ... and even that they alone know what is wise! This text reminds them that even kings are not born with wisdom ... One must humbly ask for it in prayer. Even the great King Solomon who was renowned for his wisdom, knew very well that he had received it from God after he had humility asked for it.
However, the text is more than a warning against the arrogance of those in power: it is a revelation. Once again, we see how the Bible has something in common with neighboring literatures and at the same time has something absolutely new; and it is in this difference that revelation dwells: for other peoples, and for Egypt in particular, the well established belief is that the king is an exceptional being, endowed by birth with divine wisdom. (All the court rituals aimed at reinforcing that belief!)
The Bible on the other hand showcases a very famous king, whose greatness, success and wealth no one disputes, yet who acknowledges that he is simply a human being and no more. In the following chapter of the Book of Wisdom, Solomon says: “I was a well-favored child ... and knowing that I could not otherwise possess her (wisdom) unless God gave it” (Wis 8.21). King Solomon further explains: “I too am a mortal, the same as all the rest, and a descendant of the first one formed of earth. And in my mother’s womb I was molded into flesh… And I too, when born, inhaled the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth; wailing, I uttered that first sound common to all. In swaddling clothes and with constant care I was nurtured. For no king has any different origin or birth; one is the entry into life for all, and in one same way they leave it” (7.1-6). And he adds, “Therefore I prayed and prudence was given me” (the first verse of today’s text).
Therefore, the first lesson of this text is that kings are mere mortals, no different than other human beings. God alone is God; the king is neither a god nor a demigod. The second lesson is that all wisdom comes from God; it is a gift from God. No human can claim to possess wisdom on his or her own. But then the Book of Wisdom says something else, which is already implicit in today’s reading; it says that this treasure, wisdom, accessible to mere mortal kings, can likewise be received by all - it is simply a matter of asking for it in prayer. “Passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets”, says a verse at the end of this chapter (Wis 7.27) - which is to say that all humanity is destined to share the wisdom of Solomon.
----------------------------
Addendum
On Solomon’s wisdom: if so many words and even books on true wisdom have been attributed to Solomon it is because he exemplifies the best and the worst of human nature, depending on whether one allows oneself to be led or not by God’s wisdom. Solomon’s life can be described as having had three phases: his ascension to the throne came on the heels of a rather dubious period in his life (he became king only through intrigues and the elimination of his eldest brothers). In a second phase of his life he is filled with great wisdom. This is followed by a period in which an elderly Solomon falls under the domination of power and the pagan influence of his wives.
Responsorial Psalm – 90.12-17
R/Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R/Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R/Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R/Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Second Reading – Hebrews 4.12-13
Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
Gospel – Mark 10.17-30
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
Commentary
The question put to Jesus is full of good will, “What must I do to inherit …" And Jesus, at first responds in the same vein: to enter eternal life, here is what you must do: keep the commandments - you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not deceive others, you shall not wrong anyone, you will honor your father and your mother. And the man replies, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” He probably expected to be given the seal of approval for good behavior, which he deserves if indeed he has been faithful to all these commandments since his youth. But Jesus is not a teacher of doctrine: his purpose is more than simply affirming what one must do to remain within the norm; the commandments are but a step towards something greater. This man has just been given the chance of his life: Jesus loves him and invites him to follow him. In saying this, Jesus reveals that eternal life is not some future reward: it is life with Jesus in the here and now as well as forever. The young man is one of the first to be invited to participate in God's plan to gather all things in Christ.
But Jesus’ proposal uncovers the man’s pitfall: in order to follow Jesus and become part of his group of disciples, he would have to be free; “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have.” With these words he understands that his wealth is holding him back, that it has tied him up, as sure as if he were a drug addict. He goes away sad, thus admitting that this is the case. Jesus rightfully observes: “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” He who does not have a stone on which to rest his head is forced to admit that human beings prefer their bank accounts to the love he offers them.
Meanwhile, Mark tells us that the disciples are confused, stunned; they too are not on the same wavelength as Jesus. Traditionally, wealth was considered a gift from God. But Jesus insists: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” This image always surprises us; but Jesus is neither the first nor the only one to have used such an image to express a near impossibility; for example, a Jewish saying contemporaneous with the Gospels (later transcribed in the Babylonian Talmud) spoke of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle.
This image must remain shocking, as Jesus wanted, so as to alert us: “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” Perhaps this is because we are too often possessed by our wealth; or perhaps because our wealth is what we ought to have shared with those poorer than us but did not; and even if we dislike this radical gospel saying we cannot do away with it; perhaps our wealth makes us self-sufficient, not knowing how to receive.
All this is too much for the disciples: “Then who can be saved?” Jesus' answer may not have reassured them right away: “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Here, Christ is not out to discourage anyone; his purpose is to arouse awareness; and to speak the truth. For God, everything is possible; God has every means to save us. God alone is able to free us and wants to do so.
The rich man’s sadness is a good sign – it shows that he is becoming aware. Once he understands that he cannot earn his salvation through his own “doing”, he will be able to receive salvation as a gift from God. For the rich man, it was a question of earning one's own salvation and Jesus answers him from that viewpoint. However, with that understanding of salvation the rich man could not follow Jesus.
Jesus proposes a reversal of perspective: salvation is not earned; we receive it in humble thanksgiving; but to receive it we must be free, capable of leaving everything that hinders us.
The disciples’ perspective is also one of merit: “We have given up everything” (therefore we must surely deserve something). Jesus warns them not to expect to be applauded, but rather to expect persecution; more importantly, he promises them much more than all they will ever sacrifice: a hundredfold of everything. And he promises them eternal life, not as a reward, but as a gift.
Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 11 octobre, 2015
