Links for today’s readings:
Read: 1 Samuel 18 Listen: (4:30) Read: 2 John Listen: (1:50)
Scripture Focus: 1 Samuel 18.1, 12
1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.
Reflection: Love Versus Fear
By John Tillman
The writer of Samuel consistently contrasts Jonathan and his father, Saul. One such contrast, greatly emphasized in 1 Samuel 18, is love versus fear.
Jonathan saw David’s success and loved him. Saul saw David’s success and feared him. Love made Jonathan generous. Fear made Saul jealous. Love made Jonathan loyal. Fear made Saul deceptive. Love made Jonathan understanding. Fear made Saul controlling.
Fear drove Saul to keep David close to watch him, and send him out on dangerous missions, hoping that he would fall in battle. (Later, David used this same method to kill Uriah, showing how far he fell from where he started.) Love drove Jonathan to dress David in his own royal attire and weapons and to support David even when it endangered his own life and future.
The person with the most to lose if David became king was not Saul. It was Jonathan. Yet, Jonathan’s reaction to David’s ascendant path is one of joy and Saul’s one of dread.
Perhaps Jonathan sensed that the kingship would not pass to him. After all, judgeships did not pass to offspring. Even though Saul was called king instead of judge, and Saul and Samuel assumed dynastic succession, Jonathan may not have. In this way, gifting David his robes may have meant tacitly accepting David’s coming kingship.
We should seek and aspire to be Jonathans not Sauls. Saul-like, fearful leaders will try to infect you with their fear. Overcome fear with love. However, love is not just feel-good sappiness. Love is serious. Love doesn’t agree with everyone, approve of everything, or allow anything and everything people do or demand.
Fear shifts with the wind. Love has standards, rules, moral truths, and unshakeable faith and determination. Fear denies flaws and obscures truth. Love apologizes and risks confrontation. Fear blames others and resorts to brutality. Love takes responsibility and endures hardships willingly. Fear feigns brave ferocity. Love will not retreat from spears, torches, swords, or even a cross.
A better model than Jonathan for your fearless love is Jesus, who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but given up. He traded kingly sonship for lowly servitude, and surrendered cosmic authority passing through death and the grave for us. (Philippians 2.6-8)
We need to seek and be leaders who are driven by love and not by fear. Jesus loves us fearlessly. Return and share fearless love.
Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught us, saying: “The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as I have power to lay it down, so I have power to take it up again; and this is the command I have received from my Father.” — John 10.17-18
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle
Read more: A Sympathetic Villain Origin Story
Saul had everything he needed to be a great and heroic leader…However, this was a villain’s origin story.
Read more: The Godly Impatience of Jonathan
Even under a wicked king, his father, Jonathan was faithful, brave, and honorable…May we have a godly impatience like Jonathan.