June 1: A Father's Forgiveness

2 Samuel 18:1–19:10
John 20:1-31
Psalm 119:153-176
Proverbs 16:14-15"

When I think of all the trouble I put my parents through, and I read about Absalom, as bad as I thought I was I was very much an amateur next to David's son. Let's go through the checklist, shall we? Usurped his father's throne? Check. Caused his father to flee in fear for his life? Check. Slept with his father's concubines? Check. Mobilized the army to go out and finish the job? Check, and check.

For all that Absalom did, David could be forgiven if his last instructions to the armies as they marched out to battle Israel were something like "oh, and if you catch Absalom, kill him. Slowly. Over a slow fire. Or watching reruns of Keeping up with the Kardashians." Or something like that. But that isn't what David said. He said "Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake." For my sake! Despite all he has done, be merciful to him for me, the aggrieved party, the one he wants to kill.

When I was younger, I could not understand this thinking. I could not understand why David would have forgiven Absalom, or why my parents continued to forgive me despite all I did. Now I have children of my own, and I have begun to understand. The forgiveness is easy because of the love I have for my kids, the love my parents have for me, the love David had for Absalom.

Here's the amazing thing: as tremendous as David's love for, and forgiveness of, Absalom would seem, they pale in comparison with the love and forgiveness our Father in Heaven has for each and every single one of us. David was called to forgive only those sins Absalom committed against him; God forgives all our sins, for whomever they might be directed against, they are first and foremost offenses against Him. Yes, His love for us is THAT great.

If you are like me, despite all the evidence to the contrary, you are also tempted to believe there are sins beyond the pale, sins we've committed God could not possibly forgive. I hope that, like me, you will take courage from the fact that if an earthly father like David could find such a tremendous love for Absalom in himself as to forgive the litany of Absalom's grievous offenses, our Father in heaven's love for us is infinitely greater, as is His ability, His willingness and His readiness to forgive our sins, however grievous.