1 Kings 3:5-12 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, July 26, 2026 “God Wants Us to Have a Heart for Him”
“You get three wishes.” That’s the agreement between the genie who had been trapped in a lamp and the person who released him from the lamp. Three wishes. It’s a story that’s been told in many ways over at least hundreds of years. Sometimes it’s a tragedy; sometimes it’s a comedy. Sometimes there’s a lesson you’re supposed to take from the story; sometimes it’s just about enjoying the tale. But it is a tale that takes the listener or reader on a journey. Go ahead. Put yourself in the shoes of the lamp-bearer. You get three wishes. What will you wish for? Apparently over the years some consensus has developed around the best wishes, not to mention the ones with the potential perhaps to do the most damage to others. So, there are ground rules. You get just three wishes, even if you try to wish for more wishes. That wish won’t be granted. You can’t force anyone to fall in love. I’m sure the romantic types especially wanted to keep that from happening. And there’s no messing with death. You can’t wish for anyone to die or anyone to come back from the dead. Do I need to give you a moment? Do you need to change any of your wishes? Do you know what you would wish for? Did any of your wishes involve money? If you have a genie at your command are you going to be rich? That seems to be in line with the thinking of most people or societal expectations. Perhaps there is a particular challenge that you would like to overcome. Maybe there is an illness you would like to sweep away. It’s perhaps skirting the rules a little bit, but you could wish for a long life. And maybe you can understand why the rule is in place that you can’t wish for anyone to die, because especially on a bad day, you might be able to think of someone about whom you might make that wish. The genie-in-the-bottle hypothetical is really just a different way of asking: what would you do if you were in Solomon’s sandals? Solomon had something better than a genie. God himself appeared to Solomon, son of King David, who had taken over after his father as the king over God’s chosen OldTestament people. And, no, God did not say “three wishes.” He did say, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” What do you suppose ran through the mind of Solomon when he heard God’s offer? Do you think he was very different from you? God spoke favorably of Solomon because he did not ask for long life or great riches or the deaths of his enemies, but I would not be surprised one bit if he at least gave these things some thought. After all, Solomon was a man, a human being, born to sinful parents. Sin resided in his heart just as surely as it has in yours and in mine. But Solomon was also a changed man. God had called him not only to be king but also to serve the King of the universe. And Solomon demonstrated appropriate humility and thanks before God. He spoke of God’s mercy and love and faithfulness. He had seen it in the life of his father David. He had recognized God’s grace in the fact that Solomon now sat on David’s throne and ruled over God’s people. Solomon called himself a little child who didn’t know how to go out or come in. But even more than that, he was God’s servant. He was among God’s people. And this was a huge honor. His father David had caused trouble when he tried to count the number of fighting men he ruled over as king. Son Solomon simply marveled that God had placed him over a great people, too many to be counted or numbered. And Solomon made his request. Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours? What Solomon wanted to do was what God had called him to do. He was king. He wanted to be a good king. He would rule over and judge the people. He wanted the wisdom that would be required. He would be called on to determine whether what was happening in his kingdom was good or bad. He did not want to respond with an emotional reaction depending on how he felt that day or what his truth was in the moment. He wanted his words and actions to line up with the will of God regarding good and evil.