The End of the Story

Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king's servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still. And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:28-33 ESV). King David weeps over the death of his rebellious son in our reading today. It is an especially poignant moment in the Scripture. Perhaps some of you have had such moments. A child has cut himself off from the family; your son or daughter’s marriage is self-destructing; or, you see your young adult child walk the aisle three times, live with someone, and become sexually active outside of marriage. These and countless others choices our children make causes great pain in our hearts. It’s tempting to turn aside and move on to more pleasant matters. That’s tempting, but it’s not Christ’s way. Christ embraced the pain of others. We’re called to follow suit. It’s our way to share in his sufferings. Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings (cf. Philippians 3:10). We’re called to the same goal. There’s a “cup of suffering” Jesus has left for you and me to drink. We do not know the end of the story, though we do know how important walking with our children and friends is during the times of calamity. The heart of Christ breaks over splintered human relationships. We must guard against becoming hardened in the experience of rejection and heartache. Even when we see some of the most destructive choices being made, our task is to tell the truth in love. I’ve seen many who have had no trouble with the telling of the truth; however, it’s usually not accompanied with a healthy dose of love and gentleness. The grace of God demands that we treat others, especially our family, with the same grace that God has treated us with. I cannot even imagine what my life would look like if God had treated me the way I have seen others do in their families. Make this summer a time of renewal within your closest circles of relationship. Be hopeful. God has written the end of the story even though we don’t know it fully yet. And, His story ends well. His promise is to bring good to His children through every experience (cf. Romans 8:28).