Plain Words on the Plain
Today’s story of David sparing Saul when he had Saul in his clutches is a vivid story of reversal. He “coulda, shoulda” killed him. Out of sheer self-survival, David should have eliminated Saul when he had the chance. What stopped him? Everyday in our world – in our homes and places of work, in heavy traffic and in war – we too can face the same decision moments. We can take revenge. We can eliminate our enemy. We can abuse, maim, or kill – physically, psychologically, emotionally. Many of us do.
Last week, we heard the opening of Luke’s scene of what’s called The Sermon on the Plain. “And he came down [from the mountain]… and stood on a stretch of level ground” (Lk 6: 17a). Put yourself in the crowd. “Blessed are you…” Are we confidently thinking we are the “blessed” ones? But then, Jesus goes in reverse, “Woe to you…” Who of us wants to be subject of his “woe” sayings! Then Jesus pushes his listeners – then and now – even further: “love your enemies, do good to those who harm you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
This hard teaching makes no common sense. But neither did David’s sparing Saul. Today, as then, Jesus stands on level ground and levels with us. He reverses the “normal” way of dealing with bad situations. Should that mean we accept as “normal” any forms of physical, psychological, or emotional abuse? No way! It does mean, though, that to follow Jesus we might have to change our ways of dealing with our “enemies.” David spared his enemy because Saul was God’s anointed one. How might our world be different if we all saw our “enemies” as being God’s own, God’s child, God’s anointed?
Eileen Crowley for Growing in Faith
Filed under: Growing In Faith
