Friday, July 9, 2004
Fast Day
Hieromartyr Pankratios, Bishop of Taormina in Sicily
Kellia: 1 Samuel 20:1-7, 10-15 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:5-8 Gospel: St. Matthew 13:44-54
1 Samuel 20:1-7, 10-15, especially vs.13: "But should it please my father
to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan, and more also, if I do not disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may
go in safety." True friendship surely is one of God's great gifts to mankind. The great wonder is that Christ Jesus
Himself, Who condescended to be one of us in flesh, reminds us: "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not
know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends" (Jn. 15:15). Thus the Church has learned to call our God
Incarnate, "Friend of Man" and "Lover of Mankind."
Jonathan, the son of King Saul, in every respect revealed himself as a type of our Divine, eternal, and unfailing Friend.
Like Christ Jesus, Jonathan listened to the burden of his friend's heart, invested himself in his friend's plan, protected his
friend, planned with his friend for good, and prayed God's blessing on his friend. Both Jonathan and the Lord, in the words
of Henry van Dyke, were friends who would walk a fearsome "mile with me along life's weary way."
Reading closely, we can find a quality in Jonathan's conversation with David that arrests the mind: he truly listened. Even
as he found David's perception of Saul's intent difficult to believe, he did not close out the terrible possibility of David's
dark analysis. Instead, he ended with a question: "why should my father hide this from me?" (1 Sam. 20:2). As David
pressed his case, Jonathan acceded to the grim possibility and offered his help (vs. 4). One is reminded of the Syro-Phoenician woman to whom the Lord listened and acceded (Mk. 7:24-30). And do we even allow the thought that our Lord
will not listen to us deeply and accede truly to our needs?
Jonathan was ready to do whatever was required to help his friend: "Whatever you say, I will do for you" (1 Sam. 20:4).
The Lord Jesus, the Friend of Man, also is ready to help all who call out to Him, just as He did with the two blind men who
cried, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!" He answered them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mt.
20:31,32). Let us take the prayer of the blind men on our lips and cry in our need, "Lord, have mercy on us." As David
laid out a plan to prove Saul's true purpose toward himself (1 Sam. 20:5-10), the son of Saul actually assisted his friend in
refining the plan (vss. 11-13). Likewise, when the Disciples asked the Lord about a plan to feed a multitude (Mk. 6:35,36),
He assisted them to develop a better plan (Mk. 6:37-41). He has provided us with the Gospels and His Pastors and His
Holy Spirit to guide us, so let us not rush headlong into life, but seek His mind for our plans.
Notice that Jonathan was careful to protect his friend, in light of the potential threat to David's life: hence, before he
responded to the question, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?" (vs. 10), he took David away from
prying ears, "out into the field" (vs. 11). There he assured him that he would, whatever the case, see to it that David was
able to "go in safety" (vs. 13). Our gracious God is constant to warn us of danger to our lives, as experience and the Holy
Gospels show in so many ways (e.g., Jn. 16:1-4; Mt. 16:24, 25).
Finally, see how Jonathan prayed for God's blessing on his friend: "May the Lord be with you, as He has been with my
father" (1 Sam. 20:13). Christ promises us: "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide
with you forever" (Jn. 14:16), and the Apostles remind us that "He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to
God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). What a blessed People we are! "Let
us commend ourselves and each other and all our lives to Christ our God!" O Christ our God, Who didst enlighten the
world by Thy Resurrection on the third day, rescue Thy people out of the hand of Thine enemies, O Thou Friend of man.
