Sabotaged by grief. There remain few other words that so accurately describe the power of grief. Grief steals our stability and our sense of peace, crushes our hope. In our reading today, we find David in such a place. Completely shaken by loss, David makes it clear that his own death would be more bearable than the death of his son, even though we have seen the complexity of David’s relationship with Absalom. Therefore, it isn’t a stretch to believe that in the midst of his mourning David was also filled with regret. He had failed his son on many fronts throughout his lifetime. Even as he was awaiting news, he asked multiple times about his son’s safety. Yet even the power of a king can’t ensure that. What others view as victory is nothing but loss upon loss for David. Grief has a way of exposing our darker memories and thus leaving us with a feeling of hopeless emptiness. “My son Absalom, my son, my son . . . my son, my son!”

That is why it is comforting to know that David is in the very bloodline of Jesus Christ, another son who was sacrificed at the hands of the enemy. David’s story helps us to witness the depth of complexity that comes in sacrificing a son for the greater good—the greatest good. In Jesus, we find our source of stability and peace. Through him, even death has lost its sting. This leads us to a core principle: If things are not good, God’s not done yet. Knowing this allows believers to walk in hopeful confidence. David’s story doesn’t end with the death of Absalom, nor does God’s story end with the death of Jesus. There is always hope because Christ is the resurrected Lord.