Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? – 1 Samuel 20:30

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 14, 2012): 1 Samuel 20

I think one of the most primal urges is the protection of your family. We may fight and say bad things about each other inside of the family unit, but no one else has the right to say anything negative. And often when things go badly wrong in a relationship, it is because someone crossed that line and said some things that should have been left unsaid. We want to be proud of each other, but more than that, we want (and need) our families to be proud of us. One of the worst punishments that we can suffer under is simply the thought that we have done something to dishonor our families. Parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters are all incredibly important to us, and it is supposed to be that way.

As Saul’s anger with his son is expressed with a comment – You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! While the comment sounds like an attack on Jonathan’s mother, it is really an old Oriental curse. The intention behind the words is that Jonathan’s actions have caused dishonor to be brought on his mother. The reputation of the mom has been brought into question by the actions of the child. And that is a hurtful accusation in any culture.

My sincere hope is that the ones that I am closest to – both family members and friends – know how proud I am of them. But more than that, I hope that my actions never cause their reputations to suffer – and when my actions fall short, that they will forgive me. We are family – and we need each other, and need to be able to be proud of each other.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 21