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2 Samuel 14:33 A ruse orchestrated by Joab convinced David to let Absalom live despite the gravity of his crime. He arranged for Absalom to live in a house as long as he stayed away from the king. After a time, Absalom connived to meet his father, the king, and was symbolically forgiven with a kiss. (CCC 1465)
Psalm 14 Another distinction is made between the just and the evildoers: The just seek God, and the wicked reject God and even deny his existence. Denial of God’s existence is known as ATHEISM, while the belief that professes uncertainty regarding God’s existence is called AGNOSTICISM. Both positions are offenses against the First Commandment.
The fool says in his heart: One who opines that God does not exist is a fool because his existence, as St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out, is certainly discernible through the light of human reason alone.
There is none that does good: Rejection of God amounts to sinful behavior and consequently harm to the common good. (CCC 35, 402-403, 2122-2128)
(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)
And here we are
Here is the story of Absalom and David
This is going to get worse, just so you know
David gets persuaded to bring Absalom back
Remember yesterday, he fled to Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur
He is living in exile
Remember Joab is in charge of the army
He wants Absalom to come back to Jerusalem
He hires a woman to tell David a story
It’s similar to Nathan the Prophet when he busted David for his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah
This woman Joab hires is a widow who has two sons, one son killed the other son, and people want to kill the murdering son
She asks David what she should do
So David tells her that she has to keep her family intact and restore her son to a place of safety
This woman is SO BOLD
She convicts David in a similar way that Nathan the Prophet did, with the story of the shepherd who had everything and took the one ewe-lamb
So David is convinced
David also notices that this is Joab’s work
Why would Joab want Absalom to not be in Gesher anymore?
Why would Joab want Absalom to be close to David?
We know that Joab is very loyal to David
Chances are very good that Joab recognized that Absalom posed a great threat to David
If he stays in Gesher, he could raise a rebellion against David
So it is likely that Joab orchestrated all of this so that Absalom could be close to David and not be much of a threat
This will backfire
We also see something important
We also see that Absalom is the kind of guy who is not willing to put up with much
He’s not willing to put up with the sin against Tamar
He is not willing to put up with being exiled
He is not willing to put up with Joab not responding to him
After the third time calling Joab to speak, he sets his field on fire
So what happens?
Joab goes to the king and asks him to make peace with Absalom
Absalom bows to David and David kisses him
That’s the extent of forgiveness and repentance
THIS IS KEY FOR US
Absalom shows NO SIGN OF REPENTANCE
Absalom shows NO SIGN of realizing he was wrong in killing his brother
YES, AMNON WAS WRONG TO RAPE TAMAR
But Absalom shows NO REPENTANCE in killing his own brother
David shows NO REAL FORGIVENESS
Yes he lets Absalom return
But he doesn’t see Absalom for 2 YEARS
THAT’S NOT REAL FORGIVENESS
Here’s how God forgives us
God calls us to TRUE REPENTANCE
God calls us to TURN AWAY FROM OUR SINS
God calls us to TURN BACK TO HIM
BUT THEN HE GIVES US FULL FORGIVENESS
God gives us COMPLETE ACCESS TO HIMSELF
But here is David, in so many ways, who is a GOOD KING
In this way, he was NOT A GOOD FATHER
In this way, he was not an image of THE FATHER
In this way, he was not an image of JESUS CHRIST THE KING OF KINGS
He gives PARTIAL forgiveness, which ISN’T TRUE FORGIVENESS
“Yeah, you can come back to town but you can’t be in my presence”
Think about how GOOD God the Father is
When we are forgiven in Jesus Christ, we are given COMPLETE ACCESS to the Father’s House and to the Father’s Heart
BUT…
We also have to have REPENTANCE
In 2 Samuel 14, we see NEITHER
NO REPENTANCE
NO REAL FORGIVENESS
What we will see soon in the following chapters is that WITHOUT REPENTANCE there is NO TRUE FORGIVENESS
Without TRUE FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION, we find REBELLION
So what do we take away from this?
We need to come BEFORE THE LORD
LET GO OF YOUR SINS
LET GO OF WHATEVER YOU HAVE CHOSEN INSTEAD OF GOD
CLING TO THE LORD
In Christ Jesus we have FULL FORGIVENESS
In Christ Jesus we have FULL ACCESS
To the Father’s HOUSE
To the Father’s HEART
We can’t do that on our own
WE NEED GOD’S GRACE
It’s a CONSTANT PROCESS OF REPENTANCE
It’s a CONSTANT PROCESS OF CONVERSION
Sometimes, it’s HARD TO LET GO
Sometimes, it’s HARD TO TRUST IN THE LORD
Sometimes, it’s HARD TO BE FORGIVEN
KEEP PRAYING that we all can be people who are CONSTANTLY being CONVERTED BACK TO THE LORD
KEEP PRAYING that we all can be people who are CONSTANTLY REPENTING OF OUR SINS
KEEP PRAYING that we all can be people who are CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCING THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF GOD’S MERCY AND FORGIVENESS
PRAY FOR FR. MIKE
PRAY FOR EACH OTHER
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you thanks and we give you praise. You are a good God and you are a good Dad. Lord God, you are a good Dad. You are a good Father and you continue to meet us. You forgive us completely. But you also call us to complete repentance. You offer forgiveness totally but you also call us to totally come back to you. And so help us, please Father. Help us do that. Help us to come back totally so that your mercy may totally transform us. That your grace may totally transform us. That your love may totally renew us. Lord God, bring us back to you. Let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
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