And Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord….” Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went in to the city.
1 Samuel 20:42
Separation from those we love is a part of the Christian’s reality.
Jonathan and David have now come to their final parting. They would see each other no more. Jonathan returned to the city, to King Saul and to his duty as a prince of the realm. His duty will keep him there to the very end – loyal to his God-forsaken father. David departed to begin seven years of exile, being constantly hunted by Saul. But his trial will eventually bring him to the throne, as a wise and battle-tested king. Although neither man knew what God had in store for them, they seemed to know that this was their final goodbye. And though their sadness was deep, neither man shirked his duty. Both stepped forward into what God had planned for them, confident that He was with them.
Sometimes even best friends and family are separated in the Lord’s service. I’m not talking about separation of the heart, although (sadly) that also happens because we are sinners. Based upon this passage, I’m referring to a separation in location. I can look back and see this reality played out in my own family. My grandparents left friends and family for mission work in Bolivia, where later my father was born. It was a move that shaped their lives, and the lives of the generations that followed them. My parents also felt the call to missions and I was born in Brazil. Others in the family were also called to leave home and, as a consequence, I have cousins who were born in Germany and Ecuador. No doubt the separation was difficult, but it was part of God’s plan for good.
Each of us has a place of service, and God moves us according to His requirements, not according to our hearts’ desires. From God’s perspective, separation is good and it brings increased blessing. Those who are trained in the faith in one location often serve Christ’s Kingdom in another location. In fact, there is a sense in which all of a Christian’s life can be understood as a preparation for the next step – the next move.
This doesn’t mean that separation is easy. The disciples were deeply troubled when Jesus told them He was leaving them and that they could not follow Him. And even though He told them it was good for them that He went away, they couldn’t quite believe it. Not until they were endued with the power of the Holy Spirit did they begin to grasp what Jesus meant. And even then, you can detect the longing for reunion with Jesus that permeates the New Testament. It’s a longing that all true Christians share because, as Hebrews reminds us, we are “strangers and exiles on the earth…seeking a country of our own.” (Heb. 11:13,14) We live as reluctant expatriates, hungry to return to a home we have never seen. Amazingly, this life of separation is what makes God “not ashamed to be called our God.” (11:16) Jesus Christ, after all, experienced this separation more profoundly than any man who ever lived. By the will of the Father (and with His own total concurrence), Jesus left heaven for exile on earth. He lived as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” and His life culminated in ultimate separation as He took our sins upon Himself and the Father forsook Him. We live eternally because of Christ’s experience of separation. It is our family heritage.
So, we should not be surprised when God calls us, as His children, to undergo earthly separation. It is good for us; it is the school of Christ; it prepares us to fully appreciate our final homecoming.
In this passage, Jonathan and David show us how to handle separation in a God-honoring fashion. First, they recognized and expressed their sadness by weeping together. But they also expressed their love for one another as they kissed each other. Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety,” implying clearly that he would pray for David. But equally importantly, they reaffirmed the covenant bonds of their friendship: “The Lord will be between me and you…” They reminded each other that what bound them together was eternal, and so this separation was only temporary. Then they sent each other away without hesitation.
Earthly separation is a true test of faith. Do we really trust in the wise providence of our Father? Are we prepared to follow our Lord? What is the real source of our comfort and security? May your life affirm the sufficiency of Christ in this realm as well.
0 comments:
Post a Comment