Daily Readings - Sat Feb 08 2020
1 Kings
4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."6Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.7"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.11So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
Mark
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.33But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of leadership and compassion. In the First Book of Kings, Solomon, the newly anointed king, is met by God in a dream. When given the chance to ask for anything, Solomon humbly requests a “teachable heart” and the wisdom to lead God’s people justly. This plea is not born of ambition or self-interest but out of a deep awareness of his own limitations and the immense responsibility before him. God, pleased with Solomon’s selfless request, grants him not only wisdom but also wealth and glory, fulfilling beyond what he could have imagined.
In the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus, the ultimate shepherd, responding to the needs of a crowd that has followed him to a deserted place. Though he and the disciples sought solitude to rest, Jesus’s heart goes out to the people, who are like “sheep without a shepherd.” Instead of turning them away, he takes the time to teach them, offering them spiritual nourishment. This moment reveals Jesus’s profound compassion and his commitment to the well-being of those entrusted to his care.
Both readings remind us of the importance of seeking wisdom and living with compassion. Like Solomon, we are called to recognize our own limitations and to ask for the grace of discernment in our lives. Like Jesus, we are challenged to see the needs of those around us and to respond with kindness, even when it is inconvenient. In a world that often values self-reliance and busyness, these readings invite us to slow down, to seek guidance, and to care for one another. May we, like Solomon and Jesus, cultivate hearts that are open to God’s wisdom and overflowing with compassion for all.