20210122 WEEPING FOR OUR ENEMIES
22 January, 2022, Saturday, Week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27 © |
David's lament over Saul and Jonathan
David returned from his rout of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. On the third day a man came from the camp where Saul had been, his garments torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did homage. ‘Where do you come from?’ David asked him. ‘I have escaped from the Israelite camp’ he said. David said to him, ‘What happened? Tell me.’ He replied, ‘The people have fled from the battlefield and many of them have fallen. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead too.’
Then David took hold of his garments and tore them, and all the men with him did the same. They mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, for the people of the Lord and for the House of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
Then David made this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan.
Alas, the glory of Israel has been slain on your heights!
How did the heroes fall?
Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely,
neither in life, nor in death, were divided.
Swifter than eagles were they,
stronger were they than lions.
O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul
who clothed you in scarlet and fine linen,
who set brooches of gold
on your garments.
How did the heroes fall
in the thick of the battle?
O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken,
I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother.
Very dear to me you were,
your love to me more wonderful
than the love of a woman.
How did the heroes fall
and the battle armour fail?
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 79(80):2-3,5-7 © |
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
you who lead Joseph’s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
Lord God of hosts, how long
will you frown on your people’s plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread,
an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbours,
our enemies laugh us to scorn.
Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
Gospel Acclamation | 2Co5:19 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 3:20-21 © |
Jesus' relatives were convinced he was out of his mind
Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
WEEPING FOR OUR ENEMIES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 1:1-4, 11-12, 17, 19, 23-27; Ps 80:2-3,5-7; Mk 3:20-21]
In the face of injustice, it is in our innate being to seek justice and vindication. When we have been grossly misunderstood, we feel the need to clarify ourselves. When we are wrongly accused, we want to defend ourselves and our reputation. When we are persecuted, we demand that our persecutors be given a just desert. Indeed, our dignity and human pride seek to be vindicated and prove our opponents wrong. Few of us would take injustices, slander and false accusations without seeking retribution for our enemies.
We all know that dialogue is the way to resolve conflicts and differences in opinions and judgement. Unfortunately, meaningful, humble and sincere dialogue is the most difficult and challenging thing to do. Although most people seek dialogue, it is actually a monologue. Our minds and judgements are already made up. Our opinions are already fixed. Prejudice is overlooked. And if others disagree with us, we make sure we argue to win, not so much to seek the truth. We are not interested in the truth but we believe we have the truth. But in a world of relativism, no one has the truth on one hand, and on the other hand, the truth is what one believes it to be. It is subjective, not objective and irrational.
Indeed, dialogue often generates more animosity because no one wants to lose face over what they claim to be true. Everyone wants to have the final word. Most dialogues end with both parties unhappy; and the judge or mediator is also criticized as lacking partiality and erroneous in judgment. Few are happy with the judge in a court case. Everyone has his side of the story and only his side of the story is true. In such a situation, dialogue cannot solve the conflict between two parties.
This was the case of David. He sought all ways to bring Saul to understand that he was not against him or seeking his throne. This was in spite of the fact that he defended him from the Philistines and risked his life battling with Goliath. He himself never provoked Saul to jealousy, or boasted about his achievements. Even Jonathan spoke well of him and assured him that David was for him. But he would not listen because the demon of jealousy possessed him. He was blind to whatever good that David did. All he wanted was to eliminate his potential contender for his throne. He was overwhelmed by insecurity. So insecure was he that he mustered the best of his army, 3000 of them, and went after the life of David. And when David had the opportunity to kill him twice, once when he was relieving himself in a cave and the second time, when he was deep asleep with his soldiers in the encampment area, David spared his life. Although Saul repented, it was a bit too late. As we read in today’s first lesson, God allowed the Philistines to kill him and his sons.
So, too, was the case of Jesus. He sought to assure the religious leaders that He was working for God and in His name. He had a few run-ins with them over the breaking of the Sabbath Law. He sought to dismiss their objections by proving His authority not just by His words but by His miracles of healing and exorcisms as well. Instead, they were out to slander the name of Jesus and His work. Rumours about Jesus who had become mad must have been fuelled by His enemies because of Jesus’ claim to the power to forgive sins and His authority over the Sabbath. But they could not deny His miracles and so in the next episode, Jesus was accused of casting out devils in the name of Beelzebul. Otherwise, they could not explain how Jesus could perform such miracles if He were simply mad or an imposter. Of course, their argument did not hold as Jesus pointed out, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mk 3:24-27)
We can be sure that like David, Jesus must have felt sad and disheartened for all the wrong accusations hurled against Him. But there is no greater sadness than when those who oppose us or misunderstand us are our loved ones. We can feel with David when he was misunderstood in his intention to help Saul. We can feel with Jesus when the rumours spread to His mother and relatives that He was mad, thereby tarnishing the family name. Perhaps that was the reason why His mother and relatives went to look for Jesus with the intention of bringing Him home or to ascertain for themselves the truth of the matter. We too would feel this way as well because when even our loved ones are against us and do not understand our heart and sincerity, what more those who are not close to us. All the more, they could be forgiven because they judge from the outside. But with our loved ones, whose hearts we hold dear to us, and for whose good and interest we have suffered, turn on us, it is truly heart-breaking. We want to be vindicated.
Hence, it is significant to learn from David and our Lord their responses when the opportunity for vindication for all the acts of injustice and defamation they suffered presented itself. David had no share in desiring the destruction of Saul and his family. In spite of the fact that he was hunted down like a dead dog, he continued to show respect and honour to Saul. He was finally vindicated by God because the Philistines killed Saul and his sons in a battle. When he was killed, David did not rejoice, as many of us would have with glee when our enemies suffer disgrace or a downfall. On the contrary, David wept for Saul and his sons. He even composed a poem to praise the achievements of Saul and his sons. “David made his lament over Saul and his son Jonathan: Alas, the glory of Israel has been slain on your heights! How did the heroes fall? Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely, neither in life, nor in death, were divided. Swifter than eagles were they, stronger were they than lions.”
Most of all, David was heart-broken to hear of Jonathan’s death. He said, “O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken, I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother. Very dear to me you were, your love to me more wonderful than the love of a woman”. Jonathan was his closest friend and confidante. In mourning his death and that of his sons, David also felt sorry for how the sin of one man could cause so many to die and suffer on his account. It is true for us as well, especially when we are leaders because we become a scandal, and at times the cause of the suffering of so many innocent people.
Our Lord too wept for His enemies. Although He was very hard on the religious leaders, He sought their conversion. We remember how at the Mount of Olives, the Lord also cried, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Lk 13:34f) To Judas, the Lord sought to bring him to repentance when He extended His hand of friendship by giving him the piece of morsel at the Last Supper. It was His last appeal. When the women cried for Him, He said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” (Lk 23:28) To the good thief, He assured him, “I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:43)
Indeed, we must not rejoice when our enemies eventually destroy themselves by the evil they do. We should feel sorry for them for coming to this sad state. God loves us all. He comes to save sinners. God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:4) So, rather than rejoicing when our enemies fall, we should feel sad that we are not able to prevent them from suffering destruction because of their folly. Like our Lord, we must also say, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) If we rejoice over the downfall of our enemies, it shows that we are vindictive. If we have true love like David and our Lord for our enemies, we will pray for them. We will do what we can to save them. And if we cannot, we commend them to the Lord as Jesus did on the cross. We rejoice only when the lost sheep is found.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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