1 Kings 3:16-28 (NRSV)
Solomon's wisdom in judgment
Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 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. 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. Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. 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. 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." 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.
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.'" So the king said, "Bring me a sword," and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, "Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other." 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." Then the king responded: "Give the first woman the living boy; do not kill him. She is his mother." 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.
Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 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. 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. Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. 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. 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." 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.
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.'" So the king said, "Bring me a sword," and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, "Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other." 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." Then the king responded: "Give the first woman the living boy; do not kill him. She is his mother." 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.
Reflection
Solomon has asked for wisdom and God gave wisdom to Solomon. This wisdom from this passage is a practical wisdom, wisdom with immediate use in judging cases between people. Part of this wisdom must have been the ease of access that the prostitutes had to come to the king to obtain a judgment. The king must have decided that he would make wise judgments for any and all of his people, not just the rich and powerful.
An additional point that seems to come forth from this passage is that idea of compassion of the real mother willing to give up her son in order that he remain alive. This compassion is said to have come from her heart, or bowels or womb. According to Hebrew meaning this is the center of strong emotional feelings. A deeper meaning than just her heart or love from her heart but an emotion that centers in her very core of emotions.
I wonder if God the Father had this same feeling when he gave Jesus to die on a cross for our sin. There was no person that stood up and stopped it all. But God must have had this deep emotion of giving Jesus the life of God to all the world to die for our sin. It must have been a compassion and love so deep that it came from the core or very center of God.
Then taking this thought one step along the way. When we invite Jesus into our hearts; do you invite him into the core, the very center our your being? The center of all emotion and love and compassion is where Jesus comes to dwell. Jesus wants the very center of not only your being, but of your life and of your passion, and of your ministry, and of your work, and of your every waking moment of every day. That's huge! And when we crack that door...we live a life of Jesus in Spirit in action in our lives. Let the Spirit flow and experience life like you never have before...or you could choose to fight it and be miserable...or you could choose to run away and be lost. Choose to live! Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, you are my judge. Invade my bowels, my very center and give me life in abundance. Let your love and compassion flow through me to those you give to me...today...tomorrow...and forever. --- Amen
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