Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52
Grace and peace to you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Our readings today are so rich, and I can sense that the Lord has so much to teach us. They all revolve around one central question:
What is the greatest treasure of my life?
Whatever we treasure most will shape what we pray for, what we live for, what we sacrifice for, and ultimately where we spend eternity.
The First Reading narrates the beautiful encounter between the Lord and Solomon. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you would like me to give you.”
What an extraordinary invitation!
If God were to ask you that question today, what would your answer be?
Would it be health? Wealth? Success? A good job? A happy marriage? A long life?
None of these things is wrong. Yet Solomon’s answer reveals the heart of a man who sought God above himself.
God was so pleased with Solomon’s request that He gave him even more than he dared to ask.
Let us reflect on the contents of Solomon’s prayer.
I. Solomon began with thanksgiving.
Before asking for anything, Solomon thanked God for His faithfulness to David, his father and for the blessings already bestowed upon him.
This is how all authentic prayer should begin. Before presenting our needs, we should first recognise God’s goodness.
How often our prayers become a list of requests while forgetting to thank God for His countless blessings.
II. Solomon acknowledged his inadequacy.
He said, “I am only a little child.” He was not referring to his age but expressing his sense of inadequacy.
He recognised that he was unequal to the enormous responsibility before him.
Whenever we approach God, He wants us to come with humility, relying not on our own strength or merits but on His grace. When we acknowledge our weakness, we allow God to work through us. When we rely only on our own competence and understanding, we often leave little room for God’s wisdom.
III. Solomon’s request.
What did Solomon really ask for?
He prayed, “Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil.” (1 Kings 3:9)
When we dig deeper into the original Hebrew, we discover that Solomon’s prayer is even richer than our English translation suggests.
First, he asked for a listening heart.
The Hebrew expression is לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ (lev shomea). Literally, it means, “A listening heart.”
Solomon was asking for a heart that listens to God. Before one can speak for God, one must first hear God. Before leading people, one must first be led by God.
He was asking for ears to hear God’s voice, God’s perspective and God’s direction.
Perhaps the tragedy of our generation is not that God has stopped speaking, but that we have become better at listening to every other voice than His.
Secondly, Solomon asked for discernment.
The Hebrew says, וּלְהָבִין בֵּין־טוֹב לְרָע (ulehavin ben tov lera’).
The verb bin means far more than simply “to discern.” It means to distinguish, to perceive rightly, to understand deeply, to have insight, to exercise sound judgement.
Solomon was really praying, “Lord, help me see reality as You see it. Help me understand Your will. Help me judge according to Your standards rather than my own.”
How relevant this prayer is today. Not everything that appears good is God’s will. Not every open door is a blessing. Not every opportunity comes from God. Not every voice deserves to be followed. Things are not always what they appear to be.
How desperately we need this gift of discernment in our families, our workplaces, our relationships, our choices and our faith.
I think Solomon’s prayer should become the daily prayer of every Christian.
“Lord, give me a listening heart and the wisdom to see life through Your eyes.”
Why did Solomon ask for these gifts?
His motive is perhaps the most beautiful part of the prayer. He wanted to lead God’s people well.
Notice how often he says, “Your servant…Your people.” His concern was not himself. His concern was God and God’s people. He could have asked anything for himself – riches, military power, honour, destruction of his enemies. Instead, his greatest desire was to please God by serving God’s people faithfully.
This is what spiritual maturity looks like. As we grow in our relationship with God, our prayers gradually become less self-centred. We begin to focus less on ourselves and our desires and more on God, our salvation, on others. We ask more; “Lord, how can I glorify You?”
“Lord, how can I serve Your people?”
“Lord, make me a blessing to those entrusted to my care.”
These are the prayers that delight the heart of God.
God’s response.
The Scriptures tell us, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.” (1 Kings 3:10)
Not every prayer pleases God. James reminds us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend what you get on your passions.” (James 4:3)
God is pleased when our prayers arise from a sincere desire to glorify Him, to serve others, when we prioritise the spiritual over the material, when we seek holiness before comfort, when we desire relationship with Him above His gift, when we desire His will above our own.
When Solomon sought God’s wisdom first, God freely added blessings he had never requested.
How true are Jesus’ words, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you besides.” (Matthew 6:33)
In the Second Reading, we see the beautiful message of Paul. He shows us what an understanding heart looks like. An understanding heart realises that all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
Paul is not saying that everything is good. Suffering, sickness, loss, betrayal, death and disappointment are not good but God is so wise and so loving that He can bring good even from painful situations.
We know this only with an understanding heart.
Finally, we arrive at today’s Gospel.
Jesus tells us about a man who sells everything to buy a field containing hidden treasure. Another merchant sells everything to purchase a pearl of great price. The field and the pearl become more valuable than everything else they own. They lose everything else because they have found something infinitely greater.
Perhaps today we should ask ourselves:
What do I treasure most?
What do I ask God for most often?
What am I searching for?
What is it that I am willing to sacrifice everything for to obtain?
If I gained it, would it really be worth it?
Some people risk everything for wealth, fame, pleasure, success, power, position, love, relationship, to be loved and accepted. But today’s Gospel reminds us that there is only one treasure worthy of our entire lives.
St. Paul discovered that treasure when he wrote, “Whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:7-8)
Brothers and sisters, when we are guided by God’s wisdom, we eventually discover that Christ is the ultimate treasure and His kingdom will be our greatest desire. Everything else will one day pass away – careers, wealth, power, relationship, titles, achievements. Only Christ will remain and where we will spend our eternity will be the most important thing.
May we therefore pray every day for Solomon’s listening heart and may we seek above all else the one treasure that can never be taken from us, Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on July 26, 2026