The rape. The injustice. The bitterness. The lie that he should even-the-score. The rage. The Orchestrated murder of Amnon, his half-brother. Hiding three years. The revolution he inspired. His death and King David’s tears, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33 ESV).

All of this because Absalom wouldn’t forgive Ammon for raping his sister, Tamar. Or, his father for overlooking the crime. Like falling dominoes, each event led to a greater loss.

What strikes me is that the first domino never had to fall.

Jesus put it this way, “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17:4 NIV).

Forgiveness changes everything. It re-sits the first domino.