Sacred Scripture never airbrushes its heroes. In one of the Bible’s most sobering passages, 2 Samuel 11 and 12, we see King David not as the triumphant warrior or inspired psalmist, but as a deeply flawed man capable of grave sin.

On Father Simon Says, Father walks listeners through David’s pattern of abuse of power, beginning with an earlier episode involving Nabal and Abigail (1 Samuel 25). There, David nearly murders a man who insulted him and later takes the man’s widow into his household. It is a warning sign of what is to come.

That warning becomes a tragedy in the story of Bathsheba. While his army fights, David remains behind, sees a married woman bathing, and “sent messengers and took her.” When Bathsheba becomes pregnant, David attempts a cover-up. When that fails, he orchestrates the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, sending him to the front lines to be killed.

It is the prophet Nathan who finally breaks through David’s self-deception. After hearing a parable about injustice, David condemns the guilty man, only to hear Nathan’s piercing words: “You are the man.”

David’s response changes everything. “I have sinned against the Lord,” he admits. Unlike King Saul, David does not excuse, justify, or deflect. He repents.

Father Simon reminds us that this is why David is called a man after God’s own heart. Not because he was sinless, but because he was capable of repentance. Scripture is filled with sinners: Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul. All fell, confessed the truth, and allowed God to change them.

That story continues with us. Will we accept God’s grace, admit our sin, and let Him heal us?

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