Lakewood Blog

NT Connect: Luke 11:29-32

Weekly Reading: 1 Kings 10-12, 2 Kings 16-18

One Greater Than Solomon

When you hear the name “Solomon,” what comes to mind? “Wisdom” is probably among the first few words that entered into your thought process. Many people today recognize the name Solomon, but surely his name recognition today pales in comparison to the days when he was the king of Israel. In our reading this week, we read that Solomon was the richest and wisest king in the entire world. The fame of Solomon’s riches and wisdom spread everywhere around the globe. People traveled to Israel from all over just to hear from Solomon and to glean from his wisdom.

Among those who traveled to hear Solomon was a woman known as the Queen of Sheba. The Queen of Sheba was a woman of considerable wealth who, like so many others, traveled from a distant land all the way to Israel just to hear Solomon. This queen visited Solomon in order to test all the amazing reports of his great wealth and wisdom and actually found that the reports fell short of how truly wise and wealthy Solomon was. The Queen of Sheba’s trip to Israel took her breath away. 

As renowned and as sought after as Israel’s King Solomon was, however, time would prove that Israel would fail to recognize the One who was far greater than he. In our NT Connection this week in Luke 11, Jesus contrasted the world’s acceptance of Solomon with Israel’s rejection of himself. Jesus said that on judgement day even the pagan Queen of Sheba would condemn Israel for rejecting Jesus because he was infinitely greater than the one who had left her breathless. How could they accept the teaching of Solomon, a mere man, while rejecting the teaching of the God-man, Jesus Christ? 

Solomon had God-given wisdom, but Jesus is God’s wisdom personified. Solomon was the richest person on earth, but Jesus owns everything. Solomon was King of Israel, but Jesus is the King of the entire world. Solomon was a mere man, but Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Solomon built amazing structures, but Jesus is the agent through which all things were made. Solomon had considerable power, but Jesus holds all things together by the power of his word. The Queen of Sheba had come across the world to see Solomon but, as Jesus said to the crowds, “Something greater than Solomon is here” (Luke 11:31).

 Today in the world, there are many great men and women of wealth, wisdom, and success. We may look to these people for wisdom or as examples, but let us not look to them while failing, as Israel did, to look to our great God and King Jesus Christ. If Solomon’s greatness paled in comparison to Jesus, then surely the greatness of our contemporaries does as well. Not anyone nor anything compares to the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. Take a moment to reflect on the greatness of Christ by meditating on Colossians 1:15-21.

Benji Lavender