On authority, mercy, and why I seem to be lacking in the latter...

David and the Sleeping King Saul

I find myself musing this evening over the nature of authority, particularly what honoring those in positions of authority means for us. What does it cost at the end of the day? In a word, I think it can cost us everything when we resist our own pride and humbly obey (a word most of us shudder at when we hear it!)

There he was, King Saul, vulnerable and defenseless - and David knew it. Goaded on by his servants, David knew that he could kill Saul right then and there in a desert cave near Engedi.

But what does this young David, to whom God has promised the kingdom, choose to do? He spares Saul, the very man who has come seeking David's blood. Saul has become a truly evil and murderous man, far fallen from grace. He would never spare David were the tables turned.

But mercy is a strange thing. It's unpredictable - the world doesn't control or dictate it. It can always be chosen, no matter how bleak the situation is. Mercy is born out of a deep, mysterious and wild sea of love. It is the very heart of God. Mercy informs the conscience of David and encourages him to be patient and trust that the Lord is trustworthy and will give him exactly what he has been promised. And so David speaks:

"The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, as to lay a hand on him, for he is the Lord's anointed."                                                          1 Samuel 24:7

Saul is certainly on his way out. But David recognizes that Saul is still the anointed king. Saul has separated himself more and more from God, but God never stops loving Saul. He is, after all, the perfect Father.

And so I think about how often I point my finger in blame and strike at others in authority with angry thoughts and words. Would that I grow more in mercy like David and acknowledge that all men and women are beloved children of God with a special place in his heart. And no one is beyond the reach of His mercy - why should they be beyond the reach of mine?