Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: RB 7:59

Mass: 1 Kings 10:1-10; Resp. Psalm 37; Mark 7:14-23

The Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord.

It’s difficult not to be influenced by what others say. If we’ve never met someone, for example, and a friend says, ‘Oh, you’ll like him,’ or, ‘she is rude,’ we sometimes just take the opinion as final word. Then we end up not caring for the man we’re supposed to ‘like’, and being fond of the ‘rude’ woman. The Queen of Sheba would have nothing to do with all the hubbub surrounding King Solomon; she would find out for herself and form her own opinion; she would put him to her test, with hard questions. Off goes the queen with a very great retinue—camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones. It must have been quite a sight. The queen proceeds to tell Solomon all that was on her mind. Solomon answers all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. Impressed (the NRSV relates ‘there was no more spirit in her’), the queen proclaims: ‘The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.’ Furthermore, ‘Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you on the throne of Israel for ever.’ 

It has been said: ‘Seeing is believing.’ Thomas believed when he saw and touched the wounds of Jesus (Jn 20:24-29). The Queen of Sheba believed only after seeing King Solomon in person, testing him with subtle questions. Sometimes we just have to see for ourselves. Important throughout is keeping an open mind and heart when meeting all people: the wise and not so wise, the slim and stout, young and old, the rich and poor, the good-looking and better-looking, the witty and dull, the outcast and downtrodden. There is a piece of wisdom in all of us—something in each person that tells us something about God which no one else can.  I think of the 1969 single by John Lennon, ‘Give Peace a Chance.’ All we are saying is give peace a chance. All we are saying is give people a chance. Everyone. 

Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.