Abbot Michael Brunner

Tonight’s first reading was from the book of Wisdom. Once when I was meeting with a family preparing for a funeral, the local family had decided on a reading from the book of Wisdom. Before I could write this down, a relative from out of town strenuously protested. “What kind of book is that?” she asked. “Where did that come from? That’s not in my Bible!” She was right about that. The book of Wisdom is in the Catholic Church’s Bible. It is not in the Tanakh, the Jewish scriptures, nor in her Bible, the one Protestant’s use. Ancient tradition has it that King Solomon wrote the Book of Wisdom, although in fact he did not. The book was one of the last books of the Old Testament to be written. It was attributed to Solomon, because it is written as Solomon speaking. The author knew that the voice of Solomon would be listened to. Solomon was David’s son by Bathsheba and succeeded his father as King of Israel. Under him the small kingdom of refugees from Egypt became an empire. He was the paragon of wisdom, to which are attributed other books of the Bible: Proverbs, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes.

As successor of David, God gave Solomon the opportunity to ask Him for anything Solomon wanted – anything at all. Just ask, it’s yours. Power, riches, victory over enemies, lots of pretty concubines. What Solomon asked for was wisdom. And God replied that because he asked for that, that priceless virtue, he would not only have wisdom but all those other things too. And that tells us something about wisdom. We heard in the first reading: I prayed, and prudence (another name for Wisdom) was given me; Yet all good things together came to me in her company,and countless riches at her hands. Although he was the paragon of wisdom, in his old age Solomon was not so wise, when it came to his 700 wives and 300 concubines. And that tells us something about wisdom too. It’s like humility or holiness, one of those things that if you really think “I’m humble!” or ‘I’m wise!” or “I’m a saint!” – you can be pretty sure you are not. So the quest for wisdom is open ended. We never get it all, but what parts of it we do acquire in the quest for it is well worth the effort, and we receive a lot of other good things as well. One of the places where we find wisdom is the Word of God, the Scriptures. Not just the Book of Wisdom, not just the collection of books called Wisdom Literature, but visions of wisdom itself throughout. And that is what the other two readings from today are about.

In the letter to the Hebrews, we heard a marvelous bit of Wisdom: “Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.” The word of God has real power. Here are two famous and classic examples. The first: Saint Anthony the Great of Egypt. He was a rich young man, like the one we hear of in the Gospel. His parents had died and left their fortune to him. One Sunday he was late to Mass and entered the Church just as this Gospel we just heard was being proclaimed. Those words – “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” – those words hit him like a hammer. He knew they were meant for him personally. So he promptly set up a trust fund for his little sister, arranged guardianship for her, and then gave everything else he had away, went into the desert to become a hermit monk. Thousands were attracted to him and went into the desert to follow him. He lived to be 105. He is known as the father of monks. Saint Athanasius wrote a biography of him, which became literally a best seller and inspired Christians all over Europe and the Middle East to emulate his radical following of Christ. All because he listened to the Word of God and acted. The Word of God is effective.

Second, Saint Augustine, who was also a rich young man. As he was searching for meaning in his pleasure-glutted life, heard a child’s voice commanding, “Take it and read it.” He picked up the scriptures and opened them randomly to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. He looked down to the text and his eyes landed on the verses: Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. That was all that was needed to convert him. After that, all his time, energy, intellectual brilliance and, yes, wisdom, he gave it all over to God to help building up the Kingdom of God. The Word of God is alive. That’s one of the main reasons we encourage you to practice Lectio.

In the Gospel today, Jesus suggests to another rich young man to do what Saint Anthony later did. But the young man did not have it in him to do it. He sadly goes away, and Jesus is sad too. He tells his disciples: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Now the apostles are dumbstruck and confused by this. In Mark’s Gospel, by the way, the Apostles are almost always not understanding what Jesus says. They were not at all educated in things religious or philosophical. They did not become wise in any measure until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Jesus' hearers, including the Apostles, believed that wealth and prosperity were a proof of God's blessing. The scholarly rabbis believed this. A rich man was obviously virtuous and holy, so they thought, or else God would not give them those good things! Human beings do like to ascribe their greatness to themselves. What Jesus was saying is that for the rich, attachment to earthly possessions is a real danger, pursuit of pleasure, a lot of money that can buy almost anything and everything, selfishness, is a real spiritual danger to which many fall victim. Everyone has some spiritual danger to navigate through in this life. Power, talent, reputation, sex, self-reliance: all these things can become idols that we worship.

While the poor don’t possess riches like that to endanger them, they can become so fixed at wanting and pursuing material things that they fall into the very same trap. When you think you have it made and that you did it all by yourself, you are in for a spiritual shock sooner or later.

When you think you don’t have it made and that you must do it all by yourself, that is just as bad. Jesus’ message is that salvation is impossible to achieve or earn for any and all human beings, for it comes from God alone. A Jewish midrash, a commentary on their scripture, relates God saying something similar to Jesus words: "The Holy One (God) said, open for me a door only as big as a needle's eye and I will open for you a door through which may enter tents and camels.” This is real wisdom.

In other words, God only needs for us, sinners, to open up the door just a crack for him and God will come pouring in and set up room for an oasis. God only needs a 'foot, a toe, in the door. How many people stay away from Church because they are sinners? Because they think they’re too far gone for God to help or care? How many people stay away from Church because they think they are unworthy, that they have to be perfect or at least very, very good first? How many people stay away from Church because they think they must be in control of their own lives and appetites before they walk in the door? How many people stay away from Church because they think God has nothing to offer or that God can do nothing for them? Jesus said he came, like a medical doctor, to first heal the sick, the sinners, not the healthy. God is an ocean of mercy that can quench the fires of numberless hells. He will do that and more as long as we let him. If we are wise, we will open the door at least wide enough for the Spirit to enter. That is the Good News, the Gospel we are called to accept and announce by our lives.

---