“Is The Young Man Safe?” 2 Samuel 18.31–33, Easter 7C, June ‘19

1.                Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The message from God’s Word this morning is taken from 2 Samuel 18:31-33 (READ TEXT).  It’s entitled, “Is the Young Man Safe?” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

2.                Graduation season has come. At one Christian college, the president had a standard line written into the script for commencement exercises every spring. He would thank the graduates for letting that college be a part of their pursuit of their educational goals. He was acknowledging what the students had given the college, but he didn’t mention what the college had given to the students. This is a pretty weak statement to make to the graduating class at any school. At a Christian college, the statement stands out as horribly weak. Something is missing.

3.                Speaking of something missing, look at Absalom. He was one of King David’s many sons. Absalom was handsome, capable, smart, a charismatic type of guy, a born leader, the kind who could easily get people to follow him—much too easily, as it turned out. Absalom had a lot going for him. But, something was horribly missing. When his half- brother Amnon raped his sister, Absalom was so filled with rage that he started plotting revenge on Amnon. Absalom let things brew for two years before he killed Amnon. Later, he schemed for four years before he launched a carefully-planned rebellion against David, who was both his father and his king. There was something tragically missing from Absalom, all right.

4.                One high school religion teacher used to ask his classes whether they thought a physical assault by one person against another person could bring about something as big as a full-scale war. Usually the pupils would say no. They found it possible to imagine that a single case of assault might lead to hurt feelings or anger, even violence on a relatively small scale. But they didn’t think it would start a whole war. The teacher would then point them to this story, and show them how the seeds of Absalom’s huge rebellion were sown in one act of assault. Even secular history tells us that the massive powder keg of World War I had been lit by a one-on-one attack. If secular history is all we have to go on, though, something is missing. 

5.                Look at King David, against whom Absalom launched his rebellion. Remember David’s adultery and murder? The Lord forgave David, but still David had to bear certain consequences. Absalom’s rebellion was exactly the kind of consequence the Lord had predicted. There would be evil for David from out of his own house, as someone close to the king would make a usurper’s claim to kingship. (See 2 Samuel 12:10–12.) David had brought this rebellion upon himself. After Absalom had killed Amnon and went away to lay low for three years, David finally brought Absalom back to Jerusalem . . . but then refused to see him for another two years. There had been something significantly missing from David during that time. A Pastor once preached this story as a Father’s Day message, but with all the names removed so people wouldn’t catch on right away that he was telling them this Bible story. He pointed out how badly David had turned his back on Absalom, and what consequences ensue when fathers don’t extend themselves to their children in love, compassion, and mercy. While David was keeping his distance that Absalom’s thoughts turned to staging a rebellion. 

6.                What’s missing when a father who has himself been forgiven for murder won’t turn around and share the Lord’s forgiveness with his own son? What’s missing from a son who takes it upon himself to exact revenge, not once but twice, a son who finds it imperative to get what he wants—no matter what or who stands in his way? Or what’s missing when we go to school and get an education for our purposes, to fulfill our own educational goals? In all these cases the answer is the same. What’s missing can be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love resulting from that faith.  Once upon a time, a sea horse swimming through the ocean happened upon an eel. The eel asked where the sea horse was going. “I’m going to seek my fortune,” said the sea horse. The eel told him, “Here, take this flipper and you’ll be able to go faster.” So, the sea horse paid the eel some money and swam off with his new flipper.  Next, he encountered a sponge, who also asked where he was going. “I’m going to seek my fortune,” the sea horse replied. The sponge said, “But you are going much too slowly with that flipper. I’ll let you have this scooter for a small fee, and then you will go much faster.” The sea horse bought the scooter, and went zooming.  Then the sea horse met a shark. “Where are you going?”, the shark wanted to know. “I’m going to seek my fortune,” the sea horse said again. “You’re in luck,” the shark replied. Opening his mouth, the shark continued: “Take this short cut!” In the sea horse went, but he never came out.

The message of this little fable is: when you don’t know where you’re going, you are liable to end up elsewhere—without even realizing it. 

7.                Why do we go to school? Why do parents tell their children that they should go to school? To learn enough to get a good job? Why? To make lots of money. Why? To have nice things and gadgets and fun? If this is as far as it goes, something massive is missing.  When was the last time any of us considered the thought that we go to school so we can learn something that will enable us to glorify God and serve our neighbor? Maybe it will be in church work, but Christians can glorify God and serve their neighbors in any honorable vocation. Why don’t Christian parents put it this way to their kids? The answer may well be: the parents know that if someone had said it this way to them years ago, the words might have rolled off their backs like water off a duck.  

8.                See? Something is missing, dreadfully missing. What’s missing is the Lord himself. “In all your ways acknowledge him,” the Bible says, “and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). That is what we are really talking about here, lives that acknowledge the Lord instead of resolving around self. It might surprise some people to hear this, but the Bible never tells people to fulfill their dreams. The Bible tells us to acknowledge the Lord and to serve him where he has put us. Our very shock to this fact shows how deep idolatry goes within us, and our need to repent. 

9.                David was calling upon the Lord, too, and the Lord didn’t forsake David when Absalom rebelled. On the contrary, God got David through. The rebellion of Absalom was by no means the only crisis that came upon Israel while David was king. It wasn’t even the only rebellion. (See 2 Samuel 20.) Still, this crisis weighed more heavily on David than any of the others. The king was worried about his family. He was concerned about the kingdom. But, I’m sure he couldn’t help think about the line of descent for the Messiah, which by God’s promise was to go through his household. Yet the Lord’s faithfulness came through. In this way also, David was saved by Christ. 

10.             The king had hit rock-bottom when he had to flee from his son Absalom. He went up the Mount of Olives, weeping, praying that the Lord would confound Absalom’s plans. (See 2 Samuel 15:30–31.) Bear in mind that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended on the Mount of Olives. In fact, Jesus ascended clear off that mountain. When Jesus did this he wasn’t weeping, but victorious. This ascended Christ intercedes for us before the throne of God, praying that all his enemies—and ours—be finally overcome. 

11.             That’s not all. While David was still trying to get away from Absalom’s rebellion, he came upon a relative of the previous king, Saul. This man threw rocks and dust at David, and he hurled a few choice insults and curses at him too. One of David’s army commanders volunteered to take the guy’s head off, but David said no. This was the worst humiliation of his life, but David accepted it, as a chastisement from God himself. David realized that he had to go through this humiliation if he was to be exalted again as undisputed king. He couldn’t go around it; he had to go through it. 

12.             Think of what Jesus went through in his humiliation. For he had all kinds of insults heaped upon him for things he hadn’t done. The worst of those curses came from God himself. Christ endured it all because he knew that for the sake of our salvation he couldn’t go around his humiliation unto death, even death on a cross. He had to go through it. And at the end of that humiliation he was exalted. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit at God’s right hand as our King and Champion. 

13.             This point in David’s life, when he was struggling against Absalom’s revolt, is when he looked the most like Christ. Like Jesus, David loved the unlovable. Despite everything Absalom had done, David didn’t want him harmed on the field of battle. David loved his rebellious son. Soldiers at length disobeyed the king’s order and killed Absalom. When the reports came in from the front, David urgently wanted to know whether his son was safe. Absalom stood out as uppermost on David’s mind. Yes, Absalom. When David learned that Absalom had died, he broke out in bitter weeping and said, “Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom my son, my son.” 

14.             What David wanted to do for his rebellious son is what Jesus did for all. Christ died for undeserving sinners like you and me. Because he loved us with a love much more intense than the love that moved David to say, “Absalom, my son, my son,” Christ the eternal Son of God was willing to be cut off from his Father and to cry out to him, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Such was his love for the unlovable. Such is his love for you and me. He rose from the dead to provide through his Word what otherwise would be missing from our lives. 

15.             Is the young man or the young woman safe? We might ask about those young men and women now graduating from high school or college. Are they safe? There is safety only with the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ. The story of Absalom shows that all the ambition and all the learning in this world can’t keep us safe. In fact, smarts can be put to terrible uses apart from the Lord. In the pursuit of the wrong goals, they can turn disastrous. 

16.             We can be safe only with Christ. He died for us and rose. He ascended and intercedes for us before the throne of grace and he will someday take us to be with him in heaven. Safe on account of Christ, we live in faith and love in our various callings. When we’re preparing for his coming again by remaining in his Word all through our lives, never graduating, then we are safe.  Amen.  Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting.  Amen.