Have you had what could be described as “a golden opportunity” to take revenge? Perhaps you feel good about such an opportunity. That is the human way. It is instinctual and emotionally gratifying. But it is a short-term approach.
What kind of a man is David to have missed such a golden opportunity to strike Saul, someone desperately seeking his life? Following what is laid out in this reading, there are two ways to act. Be like David’s commander, Abishai, who says to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear. Doesn’t that sound like what human inclination would prompt? Or be like David, who answers him, “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished?” (1 Sam. 26:9) That sounds disappointing, though. We can guess David will be happier after all.
David presents us with two major issues here: sparing the Lord’s anointed and forgiveness. Let’s focus on forgiveness in this homily to help appreciate the Christian principle of love. Christ lays it out in the gospel, “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.” Tough call indeed!
David’s attitude depicts a high moral and Christian character which signals God’s mercy. God is not in search of the sinner to destroy him. God is still kind and merciful, pardons iniquities, heals all ills, redeems from destruction, and crowns with kindness and compassion (Psalm 103). David sees in Saul the dignity of human life even though he despises his filth and wickedness.
The Christian mindset abhors hatred. But it forbids paying back evil for evil. In the gospel, Christ emphasizes, “To you who hear,” to convey the implications of this demand. Not everyone would accept his tough teaching. Hence the question becomes, “How dare you ask me to do good to someone who hates me?” The answer is to put on the mind of Christ. Like David, we feel wounded when we suffer hatred from those who consider us enemies. Imagine the sorrows of Christ. His enemies falsely accuse him, intimidate the authorities to condemn him, crown him with thorns, scourge him at the pillar, mount the cross upon his shoulders, and finally execute him on the same cross. That is tough. Yet, Christ asks the Father to forgive them. Christ already sets an example for his disciples.
Today’s world is quick to judge and condemn. We play the game of counterattack and sometimes think that forgiveness makes us lose the game. Christ warns, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” Let us put it this way, anyone who experiences God’s mercy is bound to give back mercy. Could that be the reason why David let Saul off the hook, remembering that he has been let off the hook by God in many ways? Are we not all guilty of something? Think about Christ’s response to the Scribes and Pharisees in the case of the woman caught in adultery, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (Jn. 8:7).
Treating your enemies as if they are friends might seem unreasonable and unrealistic but forgiving them is a Christian demand. Resentment gets you stuck while forgiveness moves you forward. Christ says, “Pray for those who mistreat you.” It means that the power of prayer is important. Begin with praying for an enemy. Prayer can soften the ground for you. Keep praying about it. Revenge might seem sweet, but forgiveness is sweeter. Revenge multiplies bitterness while forgiveness introduces freedom. Revenge puts both the offender and the revenger in a cage and opens the cycle of wounds. Forgiveness creates an inner joy that brings healing and freedom. Those butterflies in your stomach can disappear with forgiveness.
Studies have shown the effects of forgiveness on the brain, as well as the adverse effects of bitterness, hostility, and unforgiveness. In the research captioned, “How the brain heals emotional wounds: The functional neuroanatomy of forgiveness,” the researchers found, through the use of fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), a machine used for brain imaging, that there are significant “real-time” changes that occur when we choose to forgive an offender. The research states, “Being offended or harmed hurts. Victims of wrongdoing may feel emotional pain, anger, and the desire for revenge toward their offenders, and may also engage in retaliatory behavior. From a psychological point, forgiveness is a cognitive and emotional process that eradicates chronic hostility, rumination, and their adverse effects.” Hence, there is a change in brain network connection during the process of forgiveness as demonstrated in fMRI data.
Like David, we can teach the enemy a higher standard. We can free ourselves psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually through forgiveness. Imagine how Saul would feel seeing his spear and cloak in David’s hands when he wakes up. I have personally had a liberating experience by granting someone forgiveness. It feels good and relieving. It is also a holy thing to do because it makes us to be like Christ. Imagine how your enemy feels seeing that you are way ahead of him in the joy obtained through forgiveness. Forgiveness raises the bar for the Christian. Keep praying about it.
Readings: 1st- 1 Sam. 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 2nd- 1 Cor. 15:45-49; Gospel- Lk. 6:27-38
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