23 March | EVERYONE
«Then Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.’» 1 Samuel 20:42
The crown prince, Jonathan’s self-denial and selflessness reverberated that day, from summit to summit, as if they were the glow of a summer sun. Feelings so fresh and beautiful that they looked like an arch of flowers, lovely as light, limpid as the blue sky. Gentle nobility in a world of intrigue and selfishness.
At the same time, King Saul’s palace exhaled a rancid smell of crops growing old in the warehouses. Despite the abundance, it was easy to smell an intimate aroma of poverty and abandonment. Poverty of the soul. Abandonment of the Spirit of God, whose voice was muffled in the life of the proud king. It was necessary to find another monarch. From a human perspective, Jonathan, Saul’s son, deserved the crown. At least, that is what most of the people thought.
However, God saw things differently. Jonathan, too. David was just a shepherd, the son of a peasant from Bethlehem named Jesse. He was of no importance, even among his brothers, but the young prince recognized that God had chosen David as the future king of Israel and nobly accepted God’s will.
The two were friends. Soul brothers. They were bound together by the bond of divine love, but David had to depart lest he should fall victim to Saul. That is why they cried. David could not stay, and Jonathan could not leave. David was destined to live as a fugitive for many years.
Jonathan knew that he might never see his friend again, that David was preparing to live a life of secrecy and danger, and he sent him in peace. They both agreed to honor each other not only in this life, but to honor each other’s family beyond their own lives.
Blessed is he who has friends. Friends can become closer than siblings.
Take Action
How many friends do you have? If so, how many can really trust you? Ask yourself today if you would be willing to tell a friend a hard truth, tactfully and respectfully, even at the risk of losing their friendship.