Reconciled

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:9-11)

          One of my ways of surviving my eleven-hundred-mile migration each fall and spring is to listen to the Bible on CD. On the trip south, one of the stories I got to hear was about David’s son, Absalom. His sister, Tamar, was raped by a half-brother, whom Absalom killed. He escaped to another country for several years. Eventually, one of David’s advisors convinced him to allow Absalom to return to Israel, under the condition that Absalom go to his home, and not to the palace. David didn’t want to see him. This lasted until David relented three years later. When they finally met again, David kissed his son, who later overthrew David’s kingdom and slept with concubines David had left behind to care for his palace. When Absalom was killed in a battle that followed the coup, David was so upset that his advisors reprimanded him because he was making it sound as though the life of the man who wanted to destroy him meant more than the lives of the soldiers who kept him in power.
         This is not a perfect picture of the passage today, but it gives helpful notes of comparison and contrast. Like Absalom, we have done things that are punishable by death. We try to flee, but there’s nowhere to go except Hell and that’s not a wise choice. God is His own advisor, but there’s another who presumes to advise and his advice is that we should die. God chooses to forgive sins. You’d think it would be enough that we can return to our homes. I’m reminded of a scene from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, in which Lumiere (God) convinces Cogsworth (Satan) that as their guest, Belle (we) had to have something to eat. Cogsworth says something like, “Fine, a crust of bread and a cup of water.” Instead, God calls us to sit as the dining room presents dinner with a little music. Be Our Guest Now think that’s a bit over-the-top? Read about the prodigal son. The scene from Beauty and the Beast might be a little boring in comparison to our reunion with God.