David had exiled his son, Absalom, for killing his half-brother Amnon, the crown prince. Eventually, Absalom was allowed to come near the city gate of Jerusalem. He was determined to overthrow David, so he ingratiated himself with the people. When David was told that the hearts of the Israelites were with Absalom he fled, and he mourned deeply for he loved his son. As David fled, Shimei of the house of Saul cursed him and his servants and threw stones at them. David would not allow his servants to retaliate but looked to the Lord for justice. Here we have two styles of leadership - Absalom deviously plotted politically against his father; whereas, David recognized his wrongdoing and humbled himself before the Lord. Let us also live humbly before God and renounce desires for revenge.

The exorcism of the demon named Legion is also present in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The man was so violent that his community could no longer deal with him, yet he recognized Jesus and bowed before him. Interestingly, as Legion had requested, Jesus sent him into a herd of swine. The change in the demoniac was so startling that the people asked Jesus to leave their community. The man who had been healed wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go and tell everyone the good news of the mercy of the Lord. We are also asked to share the love and mercy of God with our friends, family, and all whom we encounter.