The context of today's reading from the 2nd book of
Samuel is that King David is evacuating his people from Jerusalem. David’s son, Absalom, has stolen the hearts of the
nation and has raised up a rebellion to overthrow his father from the throne. We hear of David's encounter with a man named
Shimei, who is cursing David and casting stones at him, while David's men are
trying to protect him.
Shimei reminds me of the way the media often treats
heroes and celebrities in our society. When someone is a star or a hero, we give him
accolades and adulation. But, when those same stars are down-and-out or
struggling, the media seems to relish the misery and kick them when they are
down. Think of the movie stars, politicians, and sports
figures who've been treated this way, and we can see similarities in how Shimei
treats David. By contrast, Jesus didn't curse people or throw
stones at them or harm them when they were down or hurting or struggling, as he
shows us in the healing in today's Gospel of the man possessed by demons.
Shimei accuses David of murder and bloodshed of
Saul's family, the king prior to David. Shimei is looking for someone to blame. He places the blame at the feet of
David. Yet, David does not allow his men to kill &
silence Shimei, as Abishai proposes to do. David remembers his sins; he is willing to endure
the abuse he receives from Shimei, perhaps in atonement and recognition of
those sins. As we recognize our sins, we need to repent and to
do penance for them. E. Perhaps David is
moving in the right direction here.
We are getting closer to the holy season of Lent –
it is about a month away from us. Perhaps this is a good reading for us to reflect
upon so that we will recognize those occasions that help us gain awareness of
our sin and the need for repentance and conversion.
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