...O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! -2 Samuel 18:33
The love that King David showed for his son was amazing. Absalom had taken his kingdom, shamed David before all of Israel, and was trying to kill David. When Joab, David's servant had killed Absalom in battle, David's only thought was that his son was dead. David overlooked all of the wrongs that Absalom had committed and was committing against him. Similarly, Jesus died on the cross, bore all of our sins that we had committed against him, and faced separation from the Father because in spite of all of the terrible things we have done to him, he still loves us with all of his heart. We are to be the same way. It doesn't matter what a person has done or is doing to you, you are to love them the same, the kind of gritty, willful love that David had for his son, and the love that Jesus has for us.