Our first reading recounts a famous episode from the life of David. It belongs to that early period of his life, when his fortunes had taken a turn for the worst. You will recall how David had been plucked from obscurity by virtue of his outstanding talents. He had won King Saul's grace and favour early in life and went to the royal palace as musician and wise counsellor. Eventually, despite having sons of his own, Saul anointed this young stranger as heir to the throne of Israel. But, as we all know from events nearer to home, politics and politicking is a dangerous game. Today's hero is tomorrow's villain. This was very true in the case of Saul and David. Royal favour soon turned to raging jealousy. Affection turned to insane hatred, often flaring into personal violence. When the situation became intolerable, David fled from Jerusalem to the wilderness, perhaps ancient Israel's equivalent of the chicken and ham circuit! Despite this political set-back, his charm and skills continued to serve him well. But here the parallel between these happenings and the more recent events of our own day begin to break down: David deliberately surrounded himself with a formidable contingent of bandits and fugitives from the law. He soon gained their confidence and they looked upon him as their leader. Like some modern political figures, Saul embarked upon a relentless witch hunt. His wrath fell murderously upon those who supported David. King Saul and his army set off into the wilderness in search of David and his army of bandits. And that is the context of today's first reading.
David finds Saul his tormentor asleep in his tent. He has a golden opportunity to relieve Israel of the mad King and seize power for himself. But, to his eternal credit, David stayed his hand. There was more to life than personal power and the settling of old scores. Later David reflected: `Today the Lord put you in my power but I would not raise my hand against the Lord's anointed.' In fact history was to vindicate David. In later years, when the people of Israel were leaderless, they remembered David's act of mercy to their late but very mad King. They invited him to lead them. David owed his kingship to mercy, not to military might. So the line of David, the line that eventually brought forth the saviour, had its roots and origins in forgiveness and compassion.
That message is made explicit in the teachings of the saviour himself as presented today in Luke's Gospel. This is the most important statement on Christian love to be found in the New Testament: `I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly.' The passage that follows highlights a truth that is often lost sight of: Jesus Christ had no particular interest in commending or extolling what might be called well-deserved benevolence! To return generous favours, to respond affectionately to displays of affection, to return kindness for kindness -these are in themselves splendid things, but they must not be identified with Christian virtue. Such behaviour is merely decent and civilised. To fall short of it is not to be sub-Christian, but sub-human. The Christian virtue of love is not to be identified with decent, civilised behaviour, but with the divine love of which Christ is himself the revelation, a love gracious and unmerited, which is brought into play not by the goodness of the recipient but by the goodness of the giver.
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