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1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
The story of David sparing Saul’s life highlights the tension between them. Saul pursues David with a large military force, while David’s smaller group represents the idea that victory comes from the Lord and not the work of human agents (Ps 118:14-16). David strategically infiltrates Saul’s camp, and despite Abishai urging him to kill Saul (v8), David refrains, recognizing Saul as the Lord’s anointed. This act reflects a sacred responsibility rather than mere mercy. Ultimately, David escapes with Saul’s spear and jug, illustrating how close Saul came to death (vv22f).
1 Cor 15:45-49
Paul discusses the nature of the resurrected body and highlights the inadequacy of language to describe it. He compares Adam and Christ, calling Christ the “second Adam” for the first time. Using Genesis 2:7, Paul refers to both the common noun and proper name for Adam. He notes that while the first Adam was natural and earthly, the new Adam is spiritual and a life-giver. He reminds the Corinthians that they bear the image of the earthly Adam but have not yet been transformed into the image of the heavenly Adam, despite possessing the seed of transformation.
Luke 6:27-38
The gospel emphasizes the sharing of possessions and the radical teachings of Jesus, tailored for a Gentile Christian audience (v27a). Luke highlights the importance of forgiving opponents (vv27-30), and responding to maltreatment with love, illustrating this through interactions with socially marginalized groups like Samaritans and tax collectors (9:51-56; 17:11-19). He challenges the ethic of reciprocity by urging Christians to give without expecting anything in return, in contrast to the typical practices of non-believers. While Matthew calls for perfection (5:48), Luke focuses on mercy (v38). The final verses (vv37-38) reinforce a non-judgmental and generous attitude, linking the abundance of divine rewards to the disciple’s generosity. This theme of generosity and mercy is central to Luke’s message, reflecting consistently in Jesus’ teachings and actions.
“…to forgive is divine,” so the saying goes. As Christians, we are mandated by Jesus to forgive others, just as David did with Saul. Thanks to the “Second Adam”, the the life-giving Spirit, we can indeed forgive. Thus, God’s nature is reflected in human conduct, making it evident that “by this all people will know that you are my disciples.” Amen!
