Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world,
What is the greatest act of kindness you have ever experienced? Something so beyond reason that when you think of it, tears well up in your eyes as you reflect on the impact of that unexpected, unmerited kindness shown to you! Join me today, again with King David in Israel, about 3000 years ago and prepare yourself to be awed by a kindness beyond reason which King David showed to a crippled man. The story is found in 2 Samuel 9 and the crippled man’s name was “Mephibosheth“.
But we need to start at the beginning of this remarkable story. The record says: “King David asked, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called Ziba to appear before David… and the king asked Ziba, ‘Is there no one still left of the family of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?’ Ziba answered the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.” (2 Samuel 9:1-3) Now look at the whimsical looks on the people having this outrageous conversation with King David.
Kings were famous for genocide, for killing every last remaining relative of the previous king so there’d be no chance of an uprising, but not David. David is doing exactly the opposite! David had a very special relationship with King Saul’s son Jonathan. And while Jonathan and Saul both died in battle on the same day, their deaths opened the door for David to be king rather than Jonathan, Saul’s son. But this was more than kindness, this was to be a blessing poured from God, out through David, upon a cripple man.
Do you remember we concluded our time yesterday with King David ending his prayer of praise to God requesting that God honor His promise that David’s family would live their lives under the watchful eye of God for generations to come; and that David himself would always be God’s servant, ready at any time for God to work through David to accomplish God’s purposes here on earth? This is now a practical outworking of that prayer and pledge of David to be God’s servant. The record tells us David sent for crippled Mephibosheth, and we can imagine as the crippled young man was brought on a cart to Jerusalem and probably carried into the presence of King David, Mephibosheth may have thought his life was about to end.
But instead, King David said to him, “Mephibosheth! Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, my friend. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table!!” (2 Samuel 9:6,7) Look at the crippled man, sitting on the ground, unable to move except to crawl. He’s stunned. His eyes wide open, his mouth open but no words coming out of his mouth. He has just heard words that are beyond comprehension, they make no sense, there is no logical explanation for why King David would show such generosity and even invite him, a cripple, to eat at the king’s table!
Finally, Mephibosheth is able to speak a few words as his mind begins to clear: “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?’ he said to King David. Now pause here with me, my friends. This is a picture of you and me, isn’t it? You and I, and every human being, deserve God’s judgment for our sin. We deserve death and eternity in a place far separated from the holiness and majesty of Almighty God.
But instead, God sent His Son Jesus to earth, to live among us, and show us God’s love and actually die in our place, taking God’s judgment wrath upon Himself so you and I could be forgiven of our sin by Almighty, Holy God and restored into relationship with God, and promised eternal life with Him in His presence!! In response to that overwhelming truth, do you feel so totally unworthy of God’s love that you feel as Mephibosheth felt, like a person crippled by your sin, with no hope of anything in life except eeking out an existence and then judgment? As you have begun to grasp the magnitude of God’s kindness, His generosity to you, how have you expressed your gratitude to God?
I imagine Mephibosheth is now face down on the floor, with tears streaming from his eyes, totally overwhelmed and trying to understand generosity, kindness, like he’d never imagined was possible. King David probably reached down and patted Mephibosheth on the back, urging him to lift up his head and look the King in the eye. Then King David summoned Ziba, the servant of Saul, who had been a witness to this remarkable moment and the king spoke for all in his throne room to hear his proclamation: “I have given your master’s (Saul) grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You, Ziba, and your sons and servants are to farm the land for Mephibosheth and bring in the crops so that your master’s grandson and all his household will be provided for. And Mephibosheth will always eat at my table.” (2 Samuel 9:9,10)
Now I doubt you and I can fully grasp the magnitude of what is happening here. The record tells us Ziba had a large family of 15 sons and 20 servants of Saul’s family who still all looked to him. We can assume Saul’s family had vast farmlands all of which were now deeded to Mephibosheth, and would be farmed by Ziba and his family providing both work and crops to care for them for the rest of their lives! And what greater honor for crippled Mephibosheth than for a special chair to be provided for him at King David’s table for the rest of his life!
This remarkable event concludes with this summary statement: “And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.” Now what does this tell us about the heart of David and David’s passion to be a servant to God, always available for however God wanted to use David as God poured out His blessings on our world?
Can you and I find ourselves in this story and find hope for our tomorrow’s no matter what our situation? Here’s a song to help us reflect on such great love, such unearned grace and kindness:
Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 9.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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