May the mumbling commence!
Jesus told us to love our enemies. Is this possible? What does it look like? Look no further than how David related to Saul. David writes of this relationship in Psalm 35. In verses 11 to 18, David contrasts his way of dealing with enemies and Saul’s way. Read the excerpt below:
Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know.
They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn.
But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
bowed down and in mourning.
But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
they impiously mocked more and more, gnashing at me with their teeth.
How long, O Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!
Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.
On the one side, malicious witnesses rise up to make accusations out of nowhere. Good is repaid by evil. The people laugh when David stumbles and take the opportunity to overcome David in these fallen moments. The people tore, mocked, and gnashed their teeth.
On the other side, David prayed for these people when they were sick. David prayed with prayer and fasting. David grieved for them as if they were a close friends or brothers – bowed down in mourning like a mother.
Then, David turned to God with this contrast of actions. He pled for rescue and promised to praise the Lord in the great and mighty congregation.
Here is a snapshot of loving enemies. David could have killed Saul when Saul was relieving himself in the cave that David and his men were hiding in (1 Sam 24), but he did not. When David confronted Saul with this proof, Saul called David by name. In fact, Saul called David his son. Talk about transforming enemies into friends (at least for a little while in this case). Saul saw with lucidity and clearly expressed the Lord’s work in David. Read his response to David:
"You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. Today you have explained how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. For who has ever found an enemy, and sent the enemy safely away? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. Now I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not wipe out my name from my father's house." (1 Sam 24:17b-21)
And David gladly swore to honor Saul’s family when he rose to the throne.
Loving enemies is a difficult and thankless job, but our enemies will be confronted with the light of the Lord. If they allow themselves to be, our enemies will be transformed by the Holy Spirit of God by our love – even if it is only for a moment.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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