Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
When I read the passages for today, I am reminded of all the times I teach ethics courses and seminars, but then see people shake their heads and tell me, “You’re just being too idealistic. The ideas of just wages (or abolition of the death penalty, or saying no to premarital sex – fill in the blank) can’t work “IN THE REAL WORLD.” Even the seemingly smaller things, like responding to someone kindly when they’ve yelled at you, seem an impossibility.
I always say two things in response: first is that I’m not sure it’s important that it “works” in the way we humans expect it to work. Second, whether we think it works or not, our scriptures are full of accounts of God’s alternative vision working out in ways we wouldn’t expect, which means we have to at least think about God’s vision seriously.
Today’s scriptures provide an opportunity. It’s important to grasp the full scene in today’s Old Testament reading (1 Samuel 24: 3-21). This passage follows after the famous David and Goliath scene, but also several entire chapters (18-23) that detail Saul’s jealousy of and rage against David. Saul has a deep-seated dislike of David, in part because he knows that David will be king after him (precisely because David defeated Goliath) and in part because Saul knows that God is with David in a way that God is not with Saul. So, David has been on the run, and Saul has consistently pursued him in order to kill him. In today’s passage, Saul chases after David with 3000 men, and stops for a break at precisely the cave where David and his followers are hiding.
David is quite aware of Saul’s rage and also aware of the great advantage he now has against Saul, and so he cuts a piece of the king’s mantle. This may seem odd to us today (because isn’t it just a piece of cloth?), but some commentators suggest that the mantle is highly symbolic of the king’s authority, and so David has taken away Saul’s authority. Other commentators suggest a link between David cutting the cloth and the fact that one of God’s laws is for Jewish men to wear tassels and fringe. By cutting the cloth (by cutting off the fringe), this symbolically shows a rupture in Saul’s relationship with God. Ultimately, David cutting the cloth is supposed to demonstrate to the reader that David now has the upper hand.
The fact that David shows mercy to his enemy – to the one who wants to kill him, no less – reminds us, the people of God, that God has a different vision of how the world works than we typically do. Moreover, Saul repents and reconciles on the basis of David’s (and God’s) mercy. The world is a better place because David acted generously toward Saul, even though his friends and servants had suggested otherwise.
God's vision is one of mercy - for God's enemies, but also for us! The other readings for today (Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11; Mark 3:13-19) only heighten the focus on God’s mercy. The gospel writer notes specifically, for example, that Jesus has personally invited Judas, who will betray him, to be part of his band of friends and followers. But the fact that someone might do wrong is no excuse for not giving that person a chance, or for not responding in a generous way.
This should be good news! If we are honest with ourselves, we bow to doing things the way the world wants rather than the way God wants – but God is merciful anyway. And, this should cause us to reflect on how we can respond to people in generous ways, like David, even when they are enemies to us. Today, let us pray for our enemies, and reflect on where God calls each one of us to be, even if it is in disagreement with what "everyone else" thinks.
- Jana M. Bennett