Walking Down the Highway
Take a moment and reread the first reading for today. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It’s one of those readings we need to read several times to finally understand what is happening.
We are told to rejoice in our youth. Let your heart be glad and follow the ways of your heart. Great! Awesome! But then it changes, God will bring you to judgment. Sounds rather ominous. Or is it.
When we read the Bible, we always need to keep some form of context in mind. In this case, if this Solomon, he would not have known about ‘judgment’, at least not in the context we think of it. Judgment as we think of it develops with Jesus being present.
The Jewish people did not have that kind of judgment in their theology. So, what is this judgment Solomon is talking about?
We hear of the sun darkened, clouds returning after the rain, strong men are bent, doors are shut, the birds are present, but you cannot hear, and man goes to his lasting home. Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.
For Solomon the final home is the grave. And from the grave all these things will happen, but we will not have any knowledge of them. He calls it a home, but it is not much of a home. Solomon was a person who had so much, but he writes as if he has missed so much. Now that he is looking to the future, he is realizing with all he has he too will die.
Jesus, too, is looking to the future. He will be handed over to men. The disciples did not understand what he was telling them. And they were afraid to ask.
I wonder, would you be afraid to ask? How many times do you read something from the Bible, have questions but do not ask? Now’s not the time to wait. Be bold and ask the questions.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen