Days of Our Lives – August 16
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
2 Samuel 14:21-33; Acts 21:15-26; Mark 10:17-31
If you have been following the story of King David and his family this week in 2 Samuel, perhaps you are picking up the complexities in family life. To refresh your memory and simplify the story, there are blended families and sibling rivalry at play, followed by incest and rape. Amnon, the firstborn of David, is taken with his half-sister Tamar. He seeks her out, tricks her by feigning illness, and then sexually assaults her – and casts her out in shame. When David learns of this, he is hesitant to censure Amnon the violator, because he favors his son and heir. Tamar’s younger brother Absalom takes in his sister and gives her shelter in his home. He holds back seething rage for two years, and then it bubbles up as he avenges his sister’s woundedness by plotting and killing his half-brother Amnon. Absalom flees to a region under the leadership of another king and remains there several years. David, as king and father, summons Absalom back to Jerusalem, yet refuses to see him for two years. After some posturing and manipulation, Absalom gains an audience with his father King David, and prostrates himself, face to the ground, to show his willingness to be reconciled…for a while.
Maybe these pieces of the saga of beautiful, beloved David touch on painful parts of your experience, or make you cringe as you read. (And if you have not read these seeds of modern-day soap opera fodder, just crack open your Bible and peruse chapters 13 through 15 of 2 Samuel to get caught up on this week’s Old Testament action in detail.)
Why do I lay out all of this story? Well, it is presented to us as a reading alongside Mark 10, in which Jesus is asked what must be done to inherit eternal life. What must we do to be welcomed as the beloved of God? Who really can be saved? These are questions that the disciples and others pepper upon Jesus. I can imagine that as they listen to the teachings of Jesus to give away all that they own – those impediments to fully relying upon God - the Jews who know ancient scripture feel the tension as they think about the glory of King David. Ruminating on the power of that king, they wrestled with the ways his wealth, immorality, and emotional attachments tripped him up. Though there were laws of how to live faithfully, it was – and is – hard to follow each prescription.
And so, those listening to Jesus and pondering the stories of King David and his family scratch their heads. Then who really can be saved? Jesus takes the complex and makes it simple in this way: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” (v. 27)
The trappings of life and the pains of our human experience weigh heavily on us. They skew our vision. They haunt our dreams. They slow our pace. They leave us feeling violated and desolate. When we are lying prostrate upon the ground, with our noses to the soil, let us remember to lean upon the encouragement and hope that is beyond our imagination. For God, all things are possible. Redemption and healing can come. May the Holy Spirit give us courage to hold on.
With God’s love,
Katherine+
Questions for Self-Reflection and Daily Challenge:
What do you hear in Jesus’ words,
“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
What does this mean to you? Journal for 10 minutes. Pray to God about what you externalized. Share with a friend some takeaways from this exercise.