Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings begin with a prayer of Solomon, who successfully built the temple. We heard from the scripture in the previous days that Solomon has been granted wisdom by God to distinguish good and evil. Nevertheless, during his forty year reign, there is no single prophet that arose as someone who could reawaken his sensibilities. There was no character like the Prophet Nathan who rebuked Solomon’s father David, when he committed terrible sins. Since no one rebukes him, Solomon’s sins deaden his sensibilities and his reign ended disastrously. He oppressed the people, possessed multiplied wives, and introduced pagan worship.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus frankly rebukes the Pharisees in the Gospel story. His words may sound harsh to our ears. Sometimes, we need to hear harsh words from Jesus because our sensibilities can be reset. As we approach the Lenten season, let us pause for a moment and reflect on the area of our lives that we need to be reset. Let us open our ears and listen to Jesus. Let us thank Jesus when He speaks to us with words of peace or praise. Also be prepared to hear His strong words that push us to grow.