April 5

Text: Matthew 12:42

 "The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”  (NASB)

 Have you ever thought, “You do not realize what you have!”  We often think that statement when a person expresses dissatisfaction with life, or conditions, or opportunities.  For example, a person who cannot have children hears someone complain about having to endure his or her children; or a person who has never seen inescapable poverty complains of being deprived; or a person who has never witnessed absolute powerlessness enduring senseless injustice complains of a lack of rights; etc.  Life may be unpleasant, but many rarely witness how unpleasant it is for some.

Blessings unseen are blessings ignored.  Thus, our cries of privation often are the result of closed eyes.

The reference in this text is to the queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon recorded in 1 Kings 10:1-10.  As the result of her visit, she was astounded to the point of being speechless.  She had not believed the reports she heard concerning Solomon until she saw with her own eyes.  Upon seeing and hearing, she said, “They did not report to me the half of reality!”  Solomon’s wisdom and wealth were beyond words!  The ultimate skeptic believed what she saw and heard.  She admitted reality when she saw reality.  She who did not believe knew the reports were not an exaggeration.

Those people saw someone greater than Solomon.  They witnessed this person’s acts.  Yet, they still clung to their skepticism.  They would rather blindly oppose what they saw than admit the obvious.

The result: The Queen of Sheba would condemn them in judgment.  Why?  They were a people who loved skepticism more than they loved honest sight.  They preferred to be unbelieving skeptics instead of honest witnesses.

Suggestion for reflection: Religiously, do you value skepticism over belief?  Why?  (Read 2 Chronicles 9:1-12.)