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| David spares King Saul. |
-Brian Mendonca
In the reading for Sunday Mass tomorrow, David stays his hand against Saul. David finds Saul sleeping and unarmed. David's commander urges him to allow him to spear Saul. But David says that he will not harm God's anointed. (1 Sam. 26)
Though Saul was intrigued and obsessed by the boy David - even trying to kill him - David does not do the same. This is a remarkable display of mercy by David. He refuses to listen to the specious counsel of Abishai who insinuates that God delivered Saul into his hand.
David sees clearly, and offers a counter argument deeply rooted in his belief in God. He says it is for God to decide. I will not be held responsible for shedding blood.
Very often it is easy to be swayed by the dubious arguments of those close to us. It is important to take a stand - even if it is against them. By doing so, David showed he was a man of character.
In fact, David wins a moral victory. He goes to the hill opposite the one on which Saul is and calls out to him from there. He says that he has taken Saul's pitcher of water and his spear. He asks Saul to send a soldier of junior rank to collect them.
David was a fugitive. He was running away into the hills with Saul in hot pursuit. Saul's intentions were clear. He wanted to kill David. It seemed that David's kindness itself infuriated Saul. Yet David did not take revenge.
David questions Saul why he seeks to kill him. He declares that he bears no grudge against Saul. Often people have an antipathy towards us. We do not have a clue why they hate us, but we must continue to give them the benefit of doubt. We must try to love them.
Saul was no Goliath, but what David did with physical prowess against the Philistine (1 Sam. 17), he did with moral strength with Saul.
'It is easy for the powerful to take advantage of the poor' said Fr. Alfi for the anticipated Mass this evening. We need to show grace and nobility like David.
In the episode of David we discussed here David was in a position of power - but he did not misuse it. Instead he trusted God's judgement. This hearkens back to his implicit faith in God. This is so evident when he - just shepherd boy from Bethlehem, and the youngest son of Jesse - convinces Saul to send him (not the army of Israel) to defeat Goliath. (1 Sam. 17:37).
In the Goliath episode the boy David fights for Saul on behalf of the Israelite army. In the encounter in the wilderness of Ziph (1 Sam. 26) the same army, led by Saul, is encamped to neutralize the adult David who is now declared an enemy. This encounter is a 'mirror' of a previous one in the wilderness of Engedi where David spares Saul for the first time. (1 Sam. 24)
So it is with life. The persons whom we trust and give our lives for, often betray us. The same forces that were aligned with us are later turned against us.
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