Wednesday, August 20, 2025
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One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
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19Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, ‘Let me run, and carry tidings to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.’ 20Joab said to him, ‘You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall not do so, because the king’s son is dead.’ 21Then Joab said to a Cushite, ‘Go, tell the king what you have seen.’ The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran. 22Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, ‘Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.’ And Joab said, ‘Why will you run, my son, seeing that you have no reward for the tidings?’ 23‘Come what may,’ he said, ‘I will run.’ So he said to him, ‘Run.’ Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
24Now David was sitting between the two gates. The sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he looked up, he saw a man running alone. 25The sentinel shouted and told the king. The king said, ‘If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth.’ He kept coming, and drew near. 26Then the sentinel saw another man running; and the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, ‘See, another man running alone!’ The king said, ‘He also is bringing tidings.’ 27The sentinel said, ‘I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.’ The king said, ‘He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.’
28Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, ‘All is well!’ He prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground, and said, ‘Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.’ 29The king said, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’ Ahimaaz answered, ‘When Joab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.’ 30The king said, ‘Turn aside, and stand here.’ So he turned aside, and stood still.
31Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, ‘Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.’ 32The king said to the Cushite, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?’ The Cushite answered, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.’
33The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!’
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A period of silence may be kept.
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If you’ve been following along, Absalom is King David’s son, who has been stealthily undermining him, building up power, and attempting to overthrow his father. David has to mount a counterattack to take back the kingdom, and though he doesn’t go out into battle, he urges them to deal gently with Absalom, a father’s plea. In today’s passage, he learns his son is dead.
Every time I read this passage, I am immediately reminded of the haunting song by Pierce Pettis, “Absalom, Absalom.” The second verse and chorus summarize what David must have felt:
You were the laughing boy who bounced upon my knee
You learned to play the harp and use the shepherd’s sling
Always watching, my impressionable son
Oh Absalom, what have I done
You were watching when I took a good man’s wife
And gave the orders for his murder, just to cover up the crime
All the vanity, cruel arrogance, and greed
Oh Absalom, you learned it all from me
Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son, my son
Caught in the tangles of deceit, hanging lifeless from that tree
Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son, my son
Caught by the tangles of your hair, the fruit of my own sins to bear
Oh, Absalom
But there’s something beautiful in this lament as well. In spite of Absalom’s insurrection and attempts to murder him, David has the unconditional love of a parent who would have died to save his son. He just wants his boy to be okay. When he’s not, David is undone.
Even if you didn’t consistently experience this kind of love in your family, you have a Heavenly Father who loves you more than you can imagine. As a friend once told me, “Don’t you dare forget that your Father already loves you just as much as he loves Jesus.”
You are loved. You are loved. You are loved.
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Kristen Stewart
kstewart@gmail.com
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Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
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St. B’s Cycle of Prayer
- For those in our St. B’s family who work in the music industry, including musicians, singers, and engineers
- For the St. B’s Music Ministry (instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, and choirs)
For the work of restoration and healing through ministries and partnerships that promote outreach, mercy, and justice, particularly by ShowerUp Nashville, and those who receive their love in action
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The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee Cycle of Prayer
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The Diocesan Cycle of Prayer is a way to intentionally remember churches, groups, and individuals across the Diocese of Tennessee through prayer.
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This week, pray for St. Anselm’s Church, Nashville
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The Anglican Cycle of Prayer
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The Anglican Cycle of Prayer unites the worldwide Anglican Communion in praying, on the same day, for particular dioceses.
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Today, pray for the Diocese of Del Occidental – La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico
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The Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer
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The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches prays for every region of the world and its people over the course of a year.
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This week, pray for Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger
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The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Week
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for the Week
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer from Mauritania
Your land, O Lord, is divided and suffers from fighting between your children. Injustices of all kinds, hatred, and bitterness are part of the daily life of the people. Families seek reconciliation. Tribes and ethnic groups need reconciliation and peace. Our country needs to be restored and reconciled with itself in order to deal with its past. The downtrodden still struggle to live a decent life. The powerful continue to exploit the powerless and the voiceless. Send your Holy Spirit to reveal your presence and might to all. May your name be feared, and judgment brought upon those who continue to oppress the little ones. Enter into hearts and lives and change them to become havens of love.
[© Dr Colette Bouka Coula, Cameroon, former staff member of the Lutheran World Federation in Mauritania]
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