This past Sunday’s Lectionary reading from 2 Samuel 18:5-9+15+31-33 gave us the account of the rebellion and death of David’s son Absalom. Weaving in and out of the story are various power struggles that have come into play because of David’s sin with Bathsheba… an event that broke trust with his family and with his colleagues, such as the army officer Joab (who witnessed the betrayal of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah). The sermon can be found here.
Some lessons from this scripture.
1. People are imitators rather than listeners. They pay more attention to our Christian walk than our Christian talk. Critics of Christianity draw attention to our historical failings no matter how much we talk of the good that is being done in Christ’s name today.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
2. It’s important to find a balance in our life between our commitment to our work and a commitment to our relationships. David failed to give his family the attention he should have done. As a result things happened that could have been avoided. Relationships on the home front are seriously important!
1 Corinthians 7:3 "A husband must give to his wife what she has a right to expect, and so too a wife to her husband."
3. God loves us with the depth of a parent’s love for a child. David cannot but grieve the loss of his son. Although that son is in rebellion, David sees only his lost child. So it is with God. God looks at us with a perfect Father’s eyes.
Matthew 7:9-11 "What man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
A prayer: "Thank You Father for Your inestimable love! Help me to find a balance in my life between my work and the relationships I have with those who are closest to me. Help me to be a disciple of Jesus, not just by word, but by my actions. Strengthen me for Your service through Your Holy Spirit this day. Amen"
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As I listened to this sermon and read this blog entry, I was reminded of how true this is. I see manifestations of all my habits in my kids (even the bad ones, to my chagrin) and daily vow to be a better example in the future. However, this commitment is quickly forgotten as the next morning rush out the door, lost pair of shoes, sibling argument, late (again!) bedtime, and fatigue of having heard "MOM!!" just one too many times in a day takes it's toll, especially after 5pm. Then I fall back into my usual (less than stellar) example of what it means to be a Christian person, or even a civilized human being! Then I see the kids acting the same way and the guilt returns. I make a vow to be a better model for them, knowing that they will imitate, but then someone spills sticky apple juice all over the just-washed floor and the cycle continues.... I guess kings aren't the only ones who lost sight of the big picture on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteAnd thankfully the much bigger picture is one of 'GRACE'. Our offspring usually defy the odds and grow up to be wonderful people... in spite of our stumbling attempts at parenthood :-) We can trust God... even when we can't trust ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of an old Sandi Patti song, "God loves the ones I love, even better than me." And that is a very good thing.
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