This week I am returning to one of my former churches, St Michael and All Angel’s in West Andover. It is the first time I have been back to this church which has also been through a fair amount of change in the last couple of years. This church which has an interesting history of collaboration and teamwork with other parishes, was once a part of the Portway and Danebury Team of which I was a team vicar, and writing as Nothing like a Dane. It has now gone through another transformation and helps to form Andover Parish, to which I now also belong! Andover Parish is where I live and worship, and with whom I work 3 days a week as Food Lead. This Sunday I am returning for the first time to worship with this particular church and to preach on the Kindness of David.

‘The Kindness of David’ is an interesting title to be given to preach upon. Kind is not a word I would naturally think of to describe the one who defeated Goliath as a very young man, who was a lauded Psalmist and musician, who led many victorious battle campaigns, and whose lust for Bathsheba led him to murder.David was, perhaps a complicated man, a King even, and one who was described as having God’s heart. In today’s passage though, we see him described as kind.

The back story to today’s episode is one in which David has been at war and is victorious. It is time to tidy up the loose ends and claim his spoils. In previous victories David has made sure to do this: when he defeated the Moabites he laid them on the ground and measured them up for life or death, measuring one piece of cord for those who were to be spared and two for those who weren’t. Those who survived the cull were taken as servants. When David defeated King Hadadezer he even hamstrung the chariot horses. His first battle as Saul’s champion following the defeat of Goliath, David returned with a spoil of 100 foreskins! The object of war was to leave your enemy helpless so that they could not rise up against you, which would mean diminishing their army, claiming their wealth, and ensuring that any successors to the throne were ‘dealt’ with. War was a gruesome and callous business.

And yet, David shows kindness. He has shown kindness in battle before, when only half his troops were able to continue in battle, the others being so fatigued that they remained behind to rest. Those soldiers who continued to the bitter end wanted to deprive the others of any of the spoils of victory, but David shared with them all. What David does in this passage though, defies the purpose of battle. Saul has been unkind to David since jealousy overcame him following David’s defeat of Goliath. Saul has tried to put David in positions of danger (hence the 100 foreskins) and even made him his enemy. But David couldn’t help but be loyal to his king, and even when he had the perfect opportunity to end Saul’s vindictive campaign by killing him, he turns away. Saul is found in a cave ‘relieving’ himself, instead of taking his life, David takes a piece of his cloak to prove that he had shown mercy.

David is a complex warrior.

In this passage we see David seek out his enemy’s next of kin, not to destroy the line to the throne, but to show kindness. David may have had an unnerving respect for Saul, but he has a great love and affinity with Saul’s son. David and Jonathon’s souls were bound to each other, in a deep friendship;

Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

1 Samuel 18:3

This is a friendship which has often been questioned as to whether it might be more: were David and Jonathan blood brother or soulmates?

What happens next shows extraordinary kindness to the memory of the man who loved David. Instead of seeking out his enemy’s family to destroy them, he seeks to show kindness ‘for Jonathan’s sake.’ A son of Jonathan, David’s soulmate, grandson to Saul, his enemy, is discovered: Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth has crippled feet and is being harboured by Machir, son of Ammiel, a descendent of Joseph (of the coat of many colours). He has nothing of his own, but David turns that on its head. Instead of plundering the spoils he uses them to provide for Mephibosheth, granting him a means of independence, with land to produce food and servants to take care of the it and his home. Instead of plundering his enemy’s line he restores it. He also restores the bond beyond between himself and Jonathan (who is no longer with us) by adopting Mephibosheth into his family.

David takes his enemy and shares a table with him. David takes a lame man and provides for him. David takes an orphan and provides him with family. And all because of the love that he and Jonathan shared. A love which Jonathan had sown by protecting David against his own father. I am reminded of the 23rd Psalm:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Psalm 23: 5-6, A Psalm of David

I have always read this as a hymn, a foretaste of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, praise and thankfulness for the way God has led David in battle; but perhaps there is something here also of the relationship David had with Jonathan’s family?

If David is able to offer such kindness to the grandson of his enemy, against all the codes of war, what kindnesses can we share? Kindness can be seen as a weakness, I am sure there were many officers and soldiers who questioned David’s wisdom. David went out of his way to treat the grandson of his enemy with love. It wasn’t a chance encounter which provided David with an unforeseen opportunity: David chose kindness, love, mercy, over the spoils of war, over ruthlessness, over power. What choices will we make today?

You can read the full passage here.

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