There’s something especially tragic about the death of Jonathan, the son of Saul whom David mourns so deeply at the end of our reading from 2 Samuel today. Jonathan is both a loyal son to his father and a loyal friend to David, Saul’s perceived enemy. When Saul is under the power of demons, Jonathan fights with all his might to call his father away from his wrath, his insane bloodlust against an innocent man. Likewise, Jonathan repeatedly goes out of his way to keep David safe from his father’s rage. He endures the hatred and violence of his father to keep the true king safe from the one who made himself unworthy to keep the throne.
Quite simply, Jonathan fights hard to escape the family dysfunction of his father. But he doesn’t escape it. And this is what David mourns in the closing words of our reading for this morning. Jonathan dies beside his father, the one he refused to abandon. He dies fighting against the Philistines, the enemy God has chosen to devour Saul because of Saul’s unfaithfulness Jonathan breathes his last, caught in the web of evil and self-destruction woven by his father. He never escapes it.
And yet, through the mercy of our Lord, he does escape it. Jonathan breathed his last buried underneath the rubble of his father’s hatred and arrogance and cruelty. But when he breathes again, he will breathe underneath the wing of His Savior who will lift him from the rubble. When Jonathan breathes again, he will see in full glory that he is no longer bound to the broken family of Saul. He is now a royal member of his friend David’s own household. He is now David’s eternal brother because he was rescued by the Son of David who died and rose again to save Jonathan from his own sins and from the sins of his father.
Family sins are hard to escape. It’s profoundly difficult to untangle yourself from the web of self-destruction and cruelty parents often pour out upon their children. Even when you are dedicated to your Lord and His righteousness, even when you call your parents, your siblings, your children away from their viciousness, sometimes their viciousness still devours you. You can try with all your might, but you simply may not escape the web of pain that those who share your flesh wove.
You may not escape it in this life. But you will in the life to come. Jesus, the Son of David, will lift you from the grave. He will clothe you in the salvation that no one could rip out of your hands. He will dry your every tear and welcome you into a family where you will never know sorrow or cruelty or betrayal again. You’re not a failure if you can’t work your way out of the web of sorrows that those you love wove around you. You’re a victor because you’ve already been clothed in the victory of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes focused on Him. He will lift you up.
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