Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 3; 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15
Anyone can love a friend but only God
can help us love our enemies.
Sometimes our kids surprise us, in a good way. One such shocker came from our son-in-law, Matt, so no credit to us for good upbringing! Matt became quite a renowned wedding photographer, to the point where he ran an on-line academy to teach his techniques to other photographers. His colleagues discovered another rogue photographer who had stolen one of Matt’s well-known shots, photoshopped his couple into the picture, then had the nerve to put his own copy write on it. To the surprise of Matt’s friends, who had hoped for some revenge and maybe a law suit, Matt called the imposter and offered him a free course on how to learn his techniques for himself! That act of unconditional love illustrates why Matt became a role model within his community and why God blessed his business.
David lived the same way. He continually surprised his followers by showing kindness to his arch enemies. His defense of Saul, during and after his life, showed a supernatural love and loyalty that transcends typical human emotion. In today’s reading, he does the same for Abner, Saul’s number one hit man, who had devoted his life to destroying David and undermining his reign. But at least three factors turned Abner at the end of his life: division and false accusations among Saul’s supporters (2 Sam. 3:6-10), David’s growing military support (1 Chron. 12:38), and no doubt David’s unwavering kindness to the house of Saul.
We see evidence throughout David’s life why he was known as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). When typical human response would be to retaliate against his enemies, David, long before Jesus arrived on the planet to show us the true heart of God, turned the other cheek (Matt. 5:39) and loved his enemies (Matt. 5:44). This God-like love, while surprising to his followers, strengthened David’s reputation and increased his support: All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them (3:36).
Jesus said it best. When criticized by the Pharisees for not performing their hand washing ritual before eating, Jesus said: What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him “unclean,” but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him “unclean” (15:11). “Lord, thank You for Your example, and for godly men like David and Matt, showing me how to guard my words and actions. When my emotions tell me to strike back against those who hurt me, help me choose to speak and act with Your unconditional love!”
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