Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 20, 2022                  (today’s lectionary)
David hears a whisper in the stars
Only the sounds of desert insects broke the silence. David followed his cousin Abishai down from their hilltop camp across a wide plain, barely lit by the crescent moon, to the edge of King Saul’s army camp.
The smell changed to that of dirty feet. The sounds of three thousand snoring men overwhelmed the cricket whispers and the slithering sound of lizards in the sand. Not a word. No one awoke.
The Lord had put them into a deep slumber.
“Why are we even here?” No one asked that question, but it must have been in front of both men’s minds. David had opportunity to kill Saul now and then, and he did not.
Though the Lord delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the Lord’s anointed.
When another person harmed an anointed one, David was quick to kill him. This happened more than once. The unity of Israel was always more important to him than revenge or personal safety.
David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade. Abner and his men slept around them.
Abishai breathed hard in his excitement.
God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need a second thrust!
Everyone needs an Abishai. As Kari Patterson sorts out this story, she realizes how great it is trust someone who is fiercely loyal to you with his life:
Sure, it’s great to have friends who hold us accountable, who say, “Hmm … maybe you should really take into consideration the curses he’s slinging at you. Maybe there’s some truth in them. Maybe you should examine your heart and motives and see if any of it is true.” That’s great. But also, everyone needs an Abishai. We all need a friend whose response will be, “He’s a dead dog! Let me go over and take off his head.”
David heard a whisper in the stars. It was Jesus.
To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well. Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Clear as the words were to David, Abishai heard nothing. He looked expectantly at his cousin. Is it time to do the deed?
Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure packed together, shaken down and overflowing. The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
David blinked and shook his head to clear it. He looked up at Abishai in surprise.
Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished?
Now it was Abishai’s turn to be surprised, and disappointed, and wondering at first if David was afraid.
David took the spear and water jug from their place at Saul’s head, while all around them remained asleep.
Passing through the three thousand snoring men, both warriors wondered why no one was awake, why no one seemed to care about protecting King Saul. In the morning, from a nearby hilltop David rebuked Abner for being asleep and insisted that Saul recognize the obvious: David was not his enemy.
Today, though the Lord delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the Lord’s anointed.
Saul hung his head, knew David was right, and returned home, for a little while, until the demon of doubt and fear attacked him again. Abishai and David deepened their friendship in the desert.
Later (2 Samuel 16) Abishai and David encountered a giant Philistine, perhaps one of Goliath’s brothers. In his exhaustion, David hung back, but Abishai spoke up and stepped up. “Abishai came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him.”
Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. The Lord is kind and merciful.
(Watercolor by James Tissot, from Jewish Museum, New York, 1896-1902, “David Takes Saul’s Spear and Water Bottle”)
(1 Samuel 26, Psalm 103, 1 Corinthians 15, John 13, Luke 6)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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