DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD

Solomon was the wisest of men, yet he had a thousand women in his life. According to today's passage, he "loved" those many women, and they led his heart astray to love their gods, as well. Maybe some of Solomon's wisdom was the wisdom of this world; he knew how to make political alliances and how to benefit financially from leveraged marriages, but he lost the wisdom from above, which is first of all pure!

It is no coincidence that the OT passage was coupled with the section from James, commanding us to "love not the world," and that anyone who loves the world cannot continue to love the things of God. Solomon needed to meditate on the book of James, and perhaps the Holy Spirit would have kept Solomon's feet on the right path. Instead, look at the devastation to his kingdom that was prophesied and came true in the next generation. If Solomon had read James, he would have seen that the way to get exalted is not through shrewd business and intermarriage, breaking God's clear commands to accomplish what his selfish ambition wanted, but it is through humbling himself before God and taking the path of a contrite spirit. Then it is God who would lift him up.

In the Gospel reading for today, even Pilate is guilty of the crime of fearing the crowd. He knew that Jesus was innocent, but because of the crowd, he turned Him over to be crucified.

"LORD, deliver me from the fear of men. I submit myself to You, and come with tears and humble contrition. I give up my selfish ambitions and envy, and look only to You. And I trust that in due season, You will lift me up. Let me never fall prey to the temptation of Solomon, to love the world and neglect You, Father, Son and Spirit, one God without end. Amen"
-ker