pramsay posted on December 18, 2007 09:52 1829 views

Obeying or Rebelling?

As a newcomer, I just thought it was a parade. But something was wrong. The palace officials marching by seemed distraught. I silently watched as six hundred of the Royal Honor Guard went by my house. If it started out as a celebratory parade, something drastic must have happened in the meantime. His Majesty’s bodyguards looked extremely nervous. Why were they leaving the city?

I strained my eyes and sure enough there was the King himself and his family walking with them. The King’s shoulders were sagging. His head was down and he tried to keep it covered. He kept wiping his eyes. He had no shoes on his feet. My heart was touched. Why such sorrow? Why was the King weeping?

My neighbors helped me with the answers. They told me about Prince Absalom, the King’s son. What a tragedy! All I had ever heard about the King was incredible and amazing. We couldn’t have had a better King. But his son was in total rebellion. Treacherously and deceitfully he had plotted to overthrow his father. A coup was underway!

The King – a loving father was fleeing a rebellious son. Little wonder he wept as he left Jerusalem and walked up the dusty road to the Mount of Olives. All were weeping.

And the king went out, and all the people after him.
And they halted at the last house….
And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron…..
David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered.
And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.

(2Samuel 15:17-31 ESV)

1023 BC: The Mount of Olives. Tears, sorrow and sadness. A loving father fleeing a rebellious son.

33 AD:  A much smaller group leaves the same city, cross the same brook Kidron and climb the same hill.

The hour was late; the night was dark. Eleven men with their leader sang a hymn together and then with heavy hearts they left the upper room. They left the city. They too crossed over the Brook Kidron and climbed the Mount of Olives. They followed the trail into the garden – Gethsemane. The 33 year old leader spoke to eight of the men and they stopped right there. Then He led the remaining three deeper into the Garden and asked them to sit and watch. Alone He walked a little farther.

Watch Him kneel in the darkness. Now He is lying flat with His face to the ground. Agony. Deep sorrow. Scalding tears. Blood-like sweat falling to the ground. Stricken with grief. 

Why such sorrow? Why was this King weeping? Was He rejected too?

What ever could be happening on the Mount of Olives tonight? Jesus was also a ‘Son.’ He was the obedient Son drawing near to His loving Father. And what was the occasion? He was anticipating the furious storm of suffering that would break loose upon Him the next day at Calvary. Listen to Him as He prays to His Father: “Not My will but Thine be done.”

And why? On behalf of whom?  Pause, dear child of God.  Is your heart cold? Linger at Gethsemane and then at Calvary and let the thaw begin.

By way of the Cross, I have been placed as a son in the family of God. What kind of a child am I in God’s family? Am I like Prince Absalom – a bit rebellious, doing my own thing, taking my own way, causing grief? Or is my desire to be more like Christ – the Obedient Son who always pleased His Father? The Apostle Peter referred to ‘obedient children’ who abandoned their old life to live a life for God. (1Peter 1:14) Am I obeying or rebelling?

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us
that we should be called the sons (children) of God.”

1John 3:1

Translate