Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." – 1 Kings 3:27

Today's Scripture Reading (November 25, 2025): 1 Kings 3

I am lucky; I grew up in a strong, loving family. I think most of my friends growing up also experienced strong family units, but there were a few where the family unit seemed to be damaged. I remember, as a small child, having friends who were locked out of the house early in the morning, only to be welcomed back for a short time at lunch before they were locked out again until supper time. I was of preschool age at the time, but even to my immature mind, something seemed wrong. I also admit that I didn't understand the circumstances that were the realities of this family; how could I, at such a young age? But to my young mind, something wasn't right.

Another friend was adopted as a child. And perhaps it was just the personality of his parents, but when I was at the house, there was a noticeable difference between the loving manner of his adoptive mother and the sterner, more distant attitude of his adoptive father. But the one thing that I never doubted was that both of his adoptive parents loved him. They may have loved him differently, and I know my friend didn't always appreciate the efforts of his adoptive father, but the love was present from both parents.

Two prostitutes are brought to Solomon with a problem. Both had become pregnant and both had given birth to a child. One of those children had died, and now both women were claiming the surviving child as her own. The story is one with which most of us are familiar, but I think we often miss the point of Solomon's judgment. First, we need to be reminded that both women wanted a child. So, they came and presented the problem to the wise King Solomon, and Solomon had to deliver his judgment. Solomon has no way of knowing which woman is the mother of this child, a fact that remains unchanged throughout the story. At no point can Solomon tell which woman is the mother. This question of ancestry is often overlooked. We believe that the story reveals which woman is the birth mother, but that is not what the story actually tells us.

Solomon demands that a sword be brought to him, and then orders that the child be cut in half, with half of the child being given to each mother. It was a gruesome judgment, and I often wonder what Solomon would have done if both mothers had agreed with his decision. But that doesn't happen. Instead, one woman celebrates the decision while the other is horrified. The one who is horrified immediately surrenders her claim. The child will at least live, even if he lives in the presence of the other woman. Solomon's wise decision is that the woman who was willing to relinquish the child so that it could live was the true mother.

Was she? Yes, but perhaps not in the way we might think. The woman who was willing to give up the child might have been the birth mother, but her willingness to give up the child to ensure his survival was what a loving mother, birth or adoptive, would do. Whether this woman was the birth mother or not doesn't really matter; she was the one who would be willing to sacrifice so that her child would live, and that made her the right mother for the child.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 45