Hope Alliance Bethlehem

In many ways, genuinely listening to someone is a great demonstration of love for them.  If that's true, then why do we often struggle to do it well?  The Bible shows us that we are prone towards pride.  And our transformation toward humility is only possible through Jesus sacrificial love for us.

As part of God's family, we have a unique identity and mission - to love God and others.  And we have been providentially placed where we are as scattered people to live into this reality.  So, we should love our neighbors with intentionality.

One of the biggest barriers to loving our neighbors is time.  We live busy lives and the thought of adding more to it can be overwhelming.  The Bible gives us a paradigm for how to order our lives.  If we are proactive in using it, we can find freedom to do the things that we were created to do.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a constant reminder that neighboring is not something you do, but a neighbor is someone you are.  And our only hope for being a good neighbor is to have truly experienced and embraced the ultimate neighbor - Jesus.  His love transforms us to love others.

The book of 2 Samuel is constantly pointing us to a greater king to come - Jesus.  He is the one who ultimately fulfills all of God's promises and brings the blessings of God's kingdom.  For those who have believed that Jesus is the rightful king, we see a model of how to live in the lives of the "mighty men" of David - to pursue his kingdom and not our own. 

David's psalm of praise to God reflects on his personal care and constant faithfulness.  What a glorious reality to know God not only as the God of the Exodus, but as "my" God of deliverance.  Through Jesus, we have realized this is an even more powerful way.  God is truly our Rock.

With the end of David's reign in sight, we see that God himself is the one showing mercy, championing the covenant and defeating the enemies - all things the king should be doing.     And we are again faced with the continual theme of the book that God is Israel's true king and only hope for its future.  In Jesus, we see God's faithfulness in mercy, covenant keeping and defeating our ultimate enemy.

Even upon David's triumphant return, we see a kingdom in shambles and the repeating storyline of rebellion.  What kind of king will it take to once again gather the people as one and lead with righteousness and justice?  Our eyes look beyond David to the son of David.  In Jesus, we have a king who is regathering a people and deserves our obedience.

When the battle between David and Absalom's armies finally occurs, it is a resounding victory for David's men.  Absalom's pride and David's loyal friends in Jerusalem had set the stage for this great victory which mirrors both Jesus' victory on the cross and his ultimate victorious return.  As we wait, we are reminded of our call to be his ambassadors, even in a corrupt and broken world.

Jesus first words to his disciples after his resurrection are "Peace be with you."  Much more than an ordinary greeting, Jesus is speaking about the new reality of things.  His resurrection (in a garden!) has instituted a new creation and a return to shalom.  Because of Jesus, we can find peace with God, ourselves and each other.