"..love greater than that of women"

As i meditate on the book of Samuel i was desperately looking for a good guy on the side of the obvious loser Saul's party . Thank god! I found Jonathan.As i read through the relationship conflict he had and how he overcame it, he shined as a gem of a character.Though he never departed from his evil fathers presence ,he never condoned and approved of his ways.When Saul knew of his friendship with David he used such intimidating words which i found quite shocking (you son of a perverse and rebellious women ! dont I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to you own shame and to the shame of the mother who has bore you?).How can a father talk to his own son like that?I wondered which modern day son can bear such scornful words from his father!When Jonathan persistently questioned the evil intention of his father "Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him!"The first time he spoke with his father about David Saul took an oath that he will not kill David!Probably Saul would not have expected such a response from his father.But the love and loyalty he had for truth and David withstood the fierce murderous anger of his father.Jonathan did not eat on the day of his incident because of his grief.Though he had been insulted by his very own father in front of all the courtiers the bible records that "he was grieved at his fathers shameful treatment of David".His own hurt seemed less than that of his friend whom he loved as himself( I Sam 18:1)!

Jonathan is a prototype of Christ who is to come ( his friendship with Lazarus) who proclaimed that "greater love has no one than this,that he lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13)"I wish i had a relationship with Christ like this for he said "I no longer call you as servants...... instead i have called you as friends!" and a friend like Jonathan a man of loyalty and truth.