“This Gospel-like moment in the Old Testament is very powerful. David had the perfect chance to end his problem. Saul had been hunting him, humiliating him, threatening his life. David was already anointed by God to be king. Humanly speaking, David had every reason to say: “This is God’s will. This is my opportunity. This is justice.”
But inside the cave, David does something very unexpected. He cuts only a piece of Saul’s cloak. And after doing even that, the Bible says: “David’s heart struck him.” Why? Because David realized something very important:
Just because you can hurt someone does not mean you should.
Just because you are right does not mean you must retaliate.
This is the spirituality of restraint. This is the holiness of self-control.
1. The temptation to take revenge
We all know this feeling. When someone hurts us, when someone speaks against us, when someone mistreats us, when someone becomes unjust to us, there is a strong voice inside saying: “Balos.” “Panimalos.” “This is your chance.”
David’s soldiers even encouraged him: “This is the day the Lord spoke of!”
But David knew: the voice of revenge does not come from God.
Many times, we justify our anger by saying,
“I am only being fair.”
“I am only defending myself.”
“I am only standing for what is right.”
But David teaches us today: You can be right… and still be wrong in how you act.
2. David respected Saul’s dignity, even when Saul did not deserve it
David says: “I will not raise my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.”
Notice this: Saul did not act like God’s anointed. Saul was insecure, jealous, and violent. But David chose to see not the behavior, but the dignity of the person.
This is very difficult for us.
We respect people who are kind.
We respect people who are good.
We respect people who treat us well.
But David respected Saul because of who Saul was before God, not because of how Saul behaved.
This is Christian maturity: To see the dignity of the person even when the person is acting without dignity.
3. David allowed God to be the judge
David says: “May the Lord judge between me and you.”
David refused to play God. He refused to take justice into his own hands. He refused to force God’s plan. He waited.
This is one of the hardest virtues: to let God handle the situation.
We want immediate justice.
We want immediate resolution.
We want immediate vindication.
But David teaches us the holiness of patience and trust.
Sometimes holiness is not doing something dramatic.
Sometimes holiness is simply not doing something harmful.
4. A very practical lesson for us today
How many families are divided because someone could not restrain himself from saying hurtful words? How many friendships were destroyed because someone acted on anger?How many communities suffer because people insist on being right instead of being kind?How many conflicts continue because someone refuses to be the first to stop?
David shows us: You stop evil not by defeating the other person, but by refusing to become like the other person.
5. The sign of a truly strong person
We think strength means the ability to fight. But David shows: Real strength is the ability to control yourself.
Anyone can strike back. Anyone can insult. Anyone can humiliate.
But it takes a spiritually mature person to say: “I will not do this. I will not allow anger to rule me.”
David could kill Saul. But David chose mercy. And that mercy converted Saul’s heart, even if only for a moment. Saul himself cried and said: “You are more righteous than I.”
Sometimes the greatest victory is not when you win, but when the other person realizes his wrong because of your goodness.
Final Thoughts
Sooner or later, all of us will find ourselves inside that “cave moment” — a moment when we can hurt someone who has hurt us.
And in that moment, this reading asks us: Will you act like Saul? Or will you act like David?
Will you follow the voice of anger? Or the voice of God?
May we ask for the grace today:
- to respect the dignity of people even when they fail,
- to control our anger,
- to allow God to be the judge,
- and to choose mercy over revenge.
Because in the end, the one who spares is greater than the one who strikes.”