You Cut Me Off!

And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 1 Samuel 17:28

A couple of months back, while driving home from work, I encountered another driver who rolled down his window, screamed obscenities at me, and challenged me to a fight. Apparently, he believed that I’d done something terrible to him. Maybe I cut him off. Or maybe I tailgated. I don’t know. Whatever I did, it was purely unintentional, and it annoyed me that he assumed evil intent on my part, wanting to return evil for evil. I quickly realized though, that his explosive behavior wasn’t about me. Any observer would have recognized that he had some stuff going on in his life. Still, I don’t appreciate it when others assume that I’m doing something from evil motives.

I do the same though. When cut off in traffic, I assume the other driver did it purposely to vex me. Then, when I eventually pass and see that it’s someone who looks like my grandfather, I realize that it wasn’t intentional. When I assume evil intent on the part of that grandpa, I’ve projected my own frustrations, blaming him for my long day at work. My anger, in that situation, says a lot more about my mental state than it does about that grandpa.

Though it didn’t involve road rage, assuming evil intent is the theme of today’s passage. In the story, the Israelites and the Philistines were arrayed for battle, with Goliath coming out daily to taunt the Israelites. It was during this conflict that a man named Jesse sent his youngest son David to take food to his older brothers in the army. When David saw that all of Israel quaked in fear before Goliath, he was alarmed at their fear. Insisting that God was on their side, David believed that Goliath could be beaten. Annoyed by his boldness, David’s brother assumed evil intent. Your just here to get out of work and to be entertained by the battle (my paraphrase). Eliab’s anger though, was misplaced, saying a lot more about his state of mind than about David’s. Likely ashamed of his own cowardice, Eliab lashed out at David, projecting his own failures on his brother.

I don’t like it when others assume evil intent on my part. And I’m able to see that their presumptions are usually an indictment of their mental state, not mine. What isn’t so easy to see, is that I often do the same thing to others. When I assume evil intent, I believe it’s justified. Which, of course, simply proves that I’ve got some stuff going on in my own life and that I’ve still got flaws on which I need to work.