We all grow up with some people we see as our close friends and others that we perceive as our enemies. Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel and during his kingship he came in contact with David. The young David was obviously an outstanding youth, red-haired and handsome (1Sam. 16:12). He was also strong and courageous as we can judge from his remarks to Saul (17:34). He was also endowed with musical skill (16:18). He was the shepherd of the family and it was while pursuing this occupation that he proved his physical prowess in dealing effectively with bears and lions that sought to prey on the flocks.
David’s musical skill occasioned his introduction to Saul in the kingly court. Saul began to be subject to fits of melancholia and music alone seemed to help him. David’s skill with the harp was mentioned to Saul and the king sent for him at once. From this moment onwards the young David with the harp in his hands would provide beautiful melody to soothe the misery and depression of Saul, the king of Israel.
However, David’s duties at the court did not occupy his time fully and he was still able to help with his father’s sheep at Bethlehem (1Sam. 17:15). He was doing this until one day he came upon a huge Philistine warrior, Goliath of Gath, who challenged and defied the Israelite army. The young David eventually took on Goliath’s challenge and the result was his fame and the glory of God. Armed with only a sling and five stones, David advanced to meet the giant warrior and brought him down with a well-aimed stone. He then used the giant’s own sword to decapitate him, after which the Israelites took heart and routed the Philistines.
This defeat of the great Philistine warrior brought David to even greater fame in Israel. He who was revered for his musical expertise would now be also respected and feared for his warlike acumen. He would not only modulate the percussions from the harp to soothe the king’s melancholy but also display the skill of the hands to bring down Goliath, the great and giant Philistine warrior. David immediately became a popular hero (1Sam. 18:6) as he returned to the court of the king. On returning he was honoured by the king, made an army commander and became a close friend of Saul’s son and heir, Jonathan.
Unknown to David, his fame in the land would lead him to trouble. As it is the case most times with the human mind in the face of the success of others, Saul at this point began to be jealous of the young hero David. So Saul began to desire David’s death and in a fit of mad rage he threw a spear twice at David (1Sam. 18:10). Using an evil mind, he promised to give his daughter, Merab as wife to David if he would only achieve a few more military exploits; hoping that David would die in battle.
Saul soon showed himself a deceiver when he broke his promise about Merab, marrying her to another man and thereafter offering David another daughter Michal on yet another very difficult condition. Nonetheless, David continued to prosper, marrying Michal and his consistent military success merely added to his prestige and made Saul all the more jealous (1Sam. 18:27-30). This same Michal learnt about her father’s plans to eliminate David, tricked the assassins sent to eliminate David and afterwards helped David to escape into hiding.
The first reading takes it up from here when Saul, driven by his ardent jealousy, received a report of David’s latest hiding place, arose and rushed down with 3,000 men to the wilderness of Ziph to seek after David and destroy him. The army camped near David and that night he and Abishai, a follower, eluded the guards of King Saul and stood over their sleeping enemy. Able to kill Saul with the king’s own spear, David refused. God had chosen Saul and as God’s anointed, Saul could not be murdered and the killer remain guiltless. So this consciousness kept David back from slaying Saul even when he had the opportunity to do so.
This is the gospel of forgiveness and tolerance that Jesus preaches today as He taught His disciples heavenly principles. David truly proves himself ‘a man after God’s own heart’; for he loved his enemy up to the extent of sparing his life. David teaches us today that at times those who hurt or offend us need our love in the form of forgiveness and tolerance even if we have the powers to have done otherwise. David teaches us that loving our enemies and those who hate us is sometimes the best form of revenge and the way to fine inner peace with ourselves. In David we learn that one of the ways to seek heavenly perfection is to show mercy to others even when they wrong us and desire our downfall. Little wonder that it is often said: “To err is human but to forgive is divine”.
The liturgy today calls on us to constantly live like David in a world that is so full of hurt and offence. Jesus orders us today to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We ought to know that those who are heavenly focused should always forgive and show mercy, no matter the hurt and pains that others have caused them. This is what will make us people ‘after God’s own heart’ like David and mould us as perfect as our heavenly Father.
Let us not forget that each one of us is also in need of God’s mercy; for we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). So, calm down your rage and learn to show mercy to others; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. David gave out a great deal of mercy to Saul, his enemy and great mercy was shown him (David) by God despite his many sins and atrocities as a king. Saul wanted to make David miserable and he ended up dying miserably, deposed from his kingly throne. So, live simply with others, forgive truly and show mercy because you always get back what you give out.