More on a Complex Relationship

Scripture:
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
    In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles;
    they were stronger than lions.

You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
    who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
    who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

2 Samuel 1:23-24

 

Observation: At best, David had a complex relationship with Saul. David had been a lowly shepherd who was anointed as Saul's successor. He gained fame in battle against Goliath, but then Saul grew jealous of him. Saul himself was always disappointed that his own son would not succeed him as king, and eventually his jealousy drove him to make multiple attempts against David's life and to hunt him down when he fled.

 

Through all this, David loved and respected Saul. He executed the man who mercifully killed Saul. He composed a song is Saul's honor and commanded the nation to learn it. He exalted Saul at all times as God's anointed one and himself protected Saul even when Saul was hunting him down. Clearly that isn't normal.

 

However, as the man after God's own heart, David is clearly "loving his enemy". In this case, it even goes beyond that concept - Saul is clearly David's enemy my any normal definition of the word, except in the eyes of ... David. He regards Saul only as the anointed king of Israel, to be honored and respected regardless of any act against him. In fact, David regards Saul this way even in the midst of his angry, hateful, erratic, dangerous, violent, and deceitful behavior.

 

Application: This is loving your enemy ... to go so far as to not even make the conversation about loving an enemy, but simply about loving and respecting someone God loves, ignorant of the "enemy" label. How does someone do that? How could I, right now, possibly ignore totally unacceptable behavior intended to harm me, my family, and others, to the point that I simply honor that person?

 

The answer is ... I can't. Or if I can, my attempts are so feeble that I fail, and I fail so quickly that I see no path forward to correct my behavior. Even when I know God loves these people in my mind, the best I can muster is simply not to treat them poorly. I do not understand how I could honor and defend them. This is a difficult concept.

 

In all the ways David was exceptional, this element of his faith it seems to me is the most amazing - that he kept God in the midst over every other relationship in his life. May I seek that way forward, and see how God will change my heart.

 

Prayer: Dear God, I see that you are in the midst of all people, loving all people, and therefore you are in every relationship. The reason you are where "two or more are gathered" is because you are always where two people interact, in all ways, and that includes in conflict. May I seek you in those relationships. May I find you in my heart during conflicts, and strive to respond as you would have me respond. Amen.