King David had it going on with God. He had been anointed by the prophet Samuel as a young man, eventually became king and was told by God that his kingdom would endure forever through God’s Son. Pretty heady stuff, huh? But there was another side to David. We see it today in 2 Samuel 11. In the Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed.
A man after God’s own heart. That is how King David was described. And even though he was the greatest king in all of Israel’s history, he still had a problem. He was human. And in today’s first reading, we see the sordid side of good King David. David has an adulterous affair with a woman, Bathsheba. He gets her pregnant. And if that weren’t bad enough, he has her husband killed to cover his tracks. Nice guy.
I’ve always liked this story in the Bible. Not because I condone David’s actions; no one would. But it reminds us that even the greatest king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, had feet of clay. He made bad decisions; he stumbled; he fell. David owned up to his mistake (see today’s Responsorial Psalm), and there was a steep price to be paid. But David is a great reminder to me that, even at my very best, there is always that predisposition to sin lurking nearby. Satan never gives up. The good news is, neither does God.
Father, you know that we could turn on you at any moment. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, that we may not fall prey to sin. Amen.
For Lent this year, make it a point to learn the faith. You’ll find lots of resources to help you do that at www.GusLloyd.com.
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