What Would YOU Wish For?
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One of my favorite Disney movies growing up is Aladdin. I also love the new live action one that came out with Will Smith as the Genie. I personally believe that one of the best parts of the movie is when Aladdin finds out that he has a magic lamp inside the cave and is confronted with the idea that he now has three wishes.
In the live action movie with Will Smith, after Aladdin rubs the lamp the genie appears and as he makes his grand announcement about who he is and granting three wishes, he then notices Aladdin standing there and stops what he is saying and asks him, “Excuse me, boy…where is your boss.” He then goes on to say that, “There’s always the guy (who rubs the lamp) who cheated somebody, or buried somebody, or I mean, you get the point.” Basically the genie realizes that the typical guy who rubs the lamp isn’t Aladdin. He makes the point further when he says that usually when someone rubs they lamp they know what the lamp does and they already know what they want: they want money and power.
As it turns out the Genie was right, and so was the villain of the story Jafar: Aladdin is a diamond in the rough. He is not the kind of guy who really wants money and power. He does get caught up in the myth of it all for a little bit but he turns himself around and in the end instead of using his wish to gain more for himself he frees the Genie from his servitude to the lamp and to people.
As I already said, I love that story, but it also was honestly the first thing that came to mind when I read the story of Solomon. Now obviously this isn’t a one for one comparison, but after Solomon makes sacrifices to God, God appears in a dream, and like the Genie offers to grant Solomon anything he asks for. He could have been like “those guys” and he could have asked for money and power, or to reign for eternity. Honestly, what might the average person ask for? A person typically asks for what is on their mind most of the time. For many people that is money. Money brings a sense of security so that you don’t have to worry about buying food or paying your rent, or getting clothes for your family. Power would be another way to get to that need or desire for money, plus having power over another person can be an attractive prospect to some people. So, I have to honestly admit that I cringe when I read that God is willing to grant Solomon whatever he wishes and God will give it to him. As a parent I sometimes cringe when I ask my girls what they want for dinner or dessert and regret asking the question the second it comes out of my mouth. Or times when I ask them to pick something for all of us to do, so I do really wonder what God was thinking when he is willing to grant any wish that Solomon makes.
Yet at the same time I also know and trust God to know Solomon better than I know him or anyone else for that matter. And I believe that God saw the same thing in Solomon that the Genie and Jafar saw in Aladdin…a diamond in the rough. There was probably something very special about Solomon that God saw in him and was willing to grant his request. Perhaps God knew or at least trusted that Solomon would make a good choice. There was a person in our Bible Study on Thursday who pointed out that the story starts off with Solomon making all of those sacrifices and offerings to God and that showed a special and humbling relationship between Solomon and God. Solomon may have declared that he he is inexperienced and knows next to nothing, but he must have known something to have asked for a discerning mind to govern God’s people and to discern between good and evil.
That is exactly what happens. Solomon is presented some time after his encounter with God, with a she said-she said moment where both women claim a baby is theirs. Solomon is able to determine who is best to care for the child and gives the child to that woman. But what is just as important as this wise and discerning judgement are several things to consider: First, Solomon hears the case of two prostitutes. That is important because it shows that Solomon is willing to govern all of God’s people no matter what status they have in society. Which is what he said he would do. Second, we see that the people see that it is God’s wisdom being used through Solomon to make this judgement. Solomon called the people God’s people and Solomon wanted to serve them and now we see how the people recognize that the way that Solomon is able to act is according to God’s wisdom. It’s not all from Solomon but from God acting through Solomon.
We’ve already talked about two diamonds in the rough: Aladdin and Solomon, but I would be remiss today if I didn’t bring up yet another diamond in the rough; Martin Luther. What began as a plea to St. Anne to be saved by a storm, ended up transforming the face of Christianity. Luther went from a deeply troubled believer that felt he could never do enough to earn God’s love and forgiveness to be a person who proclaimed God’s righteousness came before anything we ever did. I am sure that God saw something in Luther and through that God was able to bring about change through him.
That is what I want us all to walk away with today, is this profound sense that God can use each and every one of us to do the work that God has called us all to do. Whether we feel we are inexperienced, or unworthy, or if we feel that we are too flawed we should also know and trust that God created each of us and in that creation God saw that it was very good. That when we put our trust in God, God will bring about good in in the world, and the Gospel will be made known. God will use us as the imperfect diamonds in the rough that we are to bring about God’s kingdom.
We do not have to be King David or King Solomon or one of the twelve disciples to know and share God’s love to all who need to hear it. You also don’t have to have all the right words or knowledge to receive the love of God for yourself, for that is something that is freely given to you. Know this day, that in God’s eyes, that each of you is in fact a beautiful diamond shining brightly for God and the world to see. Amen.