How often do you look at something another Christian did and think, “How can somebody who claims to follow Jesus act like that?” Maybe it was hypocrisy. Bitterness. Revenge. Abuse of power. Often, one of the hardest things about Christianity isn’t Jesus’ teachings. It’s Christians who act nothing like Him. We believe Jesus changes people, right? Yes! We believe He gives us new hearts, teaches us to love our enemies, forgive people who hurt us, pursue holiness, and increasingly become more like Him. So why can people who belong to a righteous King still behave so unrighteously? If I gave everyone a piece of paper and asked you to write one name down of someone like that, who would you write? But don’t get too comfortable thinking that question is only about everybody else. What about your own actions? How often do you have to ask, “How can I genuinely love Jesus and still sometimes think, speak, react, hold grudges, seek control, and treat people in ways that look nothing like Jesus?” Today’s story shows us just how deep that problem really goes. David is finally king. The right king is on the throne. But something is terribly wrong inside his kingdom. And what God shows us through this sad, violent story reveals what each of us still desperately needs from our King.
