1 Samuel 22:11-15: a reflection

11Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob; and they all came to the king. 12Saul said, “Hear now, you son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?” 14Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, “Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your body guard, and honored in your house? 15Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.”

When the paranoid King Saul accuses the priest Ahimelech of conspiring with David against him, Ahimelech does not cower or lie to save himself; he tells the truth and defends the innocent David before the angry king. Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, Ahimelech answers, who is the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house? He speaks the truth: he had helped David not knowing of any conspiracy, and David was in fact faithful. Before an angry, suspicious king who held his life in his hands, Ahimelech spoke honestly and stood up for the innocent, rather than saving himself with a lie or joining in the false accusation. To speak the truth and defend the innocent even before an angry power, at real risk, is a courageous integrity. Ahimelech would not lie to save himself, nor slander the innocent to please the king; he told the truth and defended David. Speaking truth and defending the innocent before an angry power takes courage; Ahimelech showed it.

Notice Ahimelech's courage before the angry king: he told the truth and defended the innocent. Saul, suspicious and enraged, accused him of conspiracy; and Ahimelech might have saved himself by lying, by disavowing David, by joining in the accusation against him. Instead he spoke the truth, defended David as faithful, and did not cower or dissemble. This took real courage, for Saul was dangerous and held his life in his hands. But Ahimelech would not lie to save himself, nor slander the innocent to please an angry power; he told the truth and stood up for David. There is a courageous integrity in this, speaking the truth and defending the innocent even before those who are angry and in power, at real risk to ourselves. It is easier to save ourselves with a lie or to join in an accusation than to stand for the truth and the innocent before an angry power; but Ahimelech did the harder, right thing. To speak truth and defend the innocent before an angry power, though it cost us, is a real courage. Ahimelech chose the truth over his own safety.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to speak the truth and defend the innocent even before an angry power, at real cost. When those who are angry and in power pressure us, we can be tempted to save ourselves with a lie, or to join in an accusation against the innocent to please them; but Ahimelech spoke the truth and defended David before the enraged Saul, at real risk to himself. There is a courageous integrity in standing for the truth and the innocent even before an angry power. Do not save yourself with a lie or slander the innocent to please an angry power; speak the truth and defend the innocent, as Ahimelech did before Saul. Speak the truth and defend the innocent even before an angry, dangerous power, rather than saving yourself with a lie or joining in a false accusation, as Ahimelech, accused by the enraged Saul, told the truth and defended the faithful David; for there is a courageous integrity in standing for the truth and the innocent even at real risk to ourselves, and it is easier to save ourselves with a lie or to slander the innocent to please those in power than to stand for what is true, yet the harder, right thing is to speak truth and defend the innocent before an angry power, as Ahimelech chose the truth over his own safety.

Lord, when the paranoid King Saul accuses the priest Ahimelech of conspiring with David against him, Ahimelech does not cower or lie to save himself; he tells the truth and defends the innocent David before the angry king. Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, Ahimelech answers, who is the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house? He speaks the truth: he had helped David not knowing of any conspiracy, and David was in fact faithful. Before an angry, suspicious king who held his life in his hands, Ahimelech spoke honestly and stood up for the innocent, rather than saving himself with a lie. Show me Ahimelech's courage before the angry king: he told the truth and defended the innocent. Saul, suspicious and enraged, accused him of conspiracy; and Ahimelech might have saved himself by lying, by disavowing David. Instead he spoke the truth, defended David as faithful, and did not cower or dissemble. This took real courage, for Saul was dangerous. But Ahimelech would not lie to save himself, nor slander the innocent to please an angry power. There is a courageous integrity in this, speaking the truth and defending the innocent even before those who are angry and in power, at real risk to ourselves. Take that to my heart, for I am called to speak the truth and defend the innocent even before an angry power, at real cost. When those who are angry and in power pressure me, I can be tempted to save myself with a lie, or to join in an accusation against the innocent to please them; but Ahimelech spoke the truth and defended David before the enraged Saul. Keep me from saving myself with a lie or slandering the innocent to please an angry power; help me speak the truth and defend the innocent, Lord, as Ahimelech did before Saul, choosing the truth over my own safety.