When, in the First Book of Kings, the Lord appears to Solomon in a dream at night and invites him to make a request, Solomon asks not for riches nor for prestige but for an understanding heart to judge God’s people and to distinguish right from wrong. Solomon knows that true wisdom is from God, and Solomon is open to the insights the Lord will share with him. In an important sense, Solomon is asking for intimacy with God, who will direct and lead him by helping Solomon to listen, both to others and to God. Like the psalmist in Psalm 119, Solomon clearly realizes that the revelation of God’s words sheds light, giving understanding along with a humble (or simple) awareness of God’s presence in his life. Thanks to his intimacy with the Lord God, Solomon learns to discern as God discerns.
Jesus shares a number of parables with his disciples in Matthew’s Gospel, wondering, Do they understand all these things? Jesus knows that they will need to draw upon the wisdom of the all of scripture – the old and the new – in order to cultivate a capacity to listen to God in their hearts. Jesus’ parables are not complicated; they speak of the profound love of God that defines God’s kingdom. When one discovers that kingdom – like a treasure buried in a field, or a pearl of great price – nothing else retains the value it once had, and one must able to discern correctly, ultimately selling all one has for the sake of that kingdom. Like the net thrown into the sea, in the end it is God’s discernment that counts; his is the net thrown into the sea, that he might assess the fish who live there.
Our discernment may not always be perfect; indeed, as human beings, we often choose poorly. But, as Paul reassures the Romans, all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus; it’s up to us to choose to accept that invitation, to conform ourselves to the love that is ours, embracing the intimacy to which the Lord calls us. In the end, we must discern whether we are ready to model the love Christ reveals to us, we who, through baptism, are conformed to him. Is there any discernment more important than this?
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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