A thousand years before the arrival of Jesus Christ and the proclamation of his message of radical love, David was already displaying what that love looks like. As Saint Peter says in the above verses, we are called not to repay evil with evil, but to do good and be merciful always no matter what. In David's case, a most vivid example of this is playing out in these chapters of the First Book of Samuel. Saul is filled with evil and is bent on having David killed. According to mankind's natural (i.e., fallen) inclinations, it would be expected that David would just as soon turn the tables on Saul and kill him if given the opportunity. That opportunity comes in 1 Samuel 24 when Saul enters a cave unaware that David is within. If David had wanted to kill Saul, a more perfect moment couldn't have come. But he doesn't do it. His virtuous heart, thanks to the grace of God, prevents him from repaying evil with evil. Instead he simply cuts off a piece of Saul's garment to be a visible sign of mercy, that it might change Saul's heart. And it almost appears to have worked. Saul leaves knowing he could have easily been killed, and his anger seems to have been quelled. David shows himself yet again to be a remarkable precursor to Jesus. He demonstrates what it means to love one's enemies. His is the virtuous life. (Though, as a man David is still flawed and some of those flaws come out eventually). David is just when it is fit to be just, as when he kills Goliath. And he is merciful when we are called to be merciful, as when he spares Saul's life. He is a model for us all, one of the best ones to appear in Scripture, before the coming of our Lord.
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