David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)

A couple of months ago, my campus minister preached a fantastic sermon on the picture of God’s faithfulness to His people in the lives of David and Mephibosheth.  The entire sermon was full of richness and definitely divinely inspired.  While I was sitting there listening, my thoughts kept drifting to how this passage is such a beautiful picture of how God works through our brokenness by showing His grace and love towards us.  The fact that Mephibosheth is a “cripple” only causes that passage to hit home with me so much more.  I think one reason that God gave us this story of David and Mephibosheth was to give encouragement for those touched by disability.  In this passage, King David is a beautiful example of showing kindness and true love to someone that is very helpless.  He took a guy that did not matter in the world’s eyes and placed him in a seat of honor.  Once we know the love of Christ it should move us to start sharing this love with others.  It will cause us to sacrifice for people who do not matter in the eyes of the world.  These actions of serving those that are outwardly broken and cost you time and money without paying you back show real Christianity.  Yet I would argue that working with those touched by disability could be the most rewarding experiences you could ever do.  The beauty of being around broken people is that it reminds us of how broken and sinful we are before the God of infinite mercy.

David gave Mephibosheth a new identity by drawing him into his family and placing him at the king’s table.  “Mephibosheth gave David an incredible opportunity to represent God’s grace.” And even though he did not deserve it, he would never leave the king’s table!  Yet after all of this, Mephibosheth remained disabled while he was on earth.  The final verse of the passage is my favorite as it shows the reality God’s grace even in the midst of our present sufferings: “And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’ table, and he was crippled in both feet.”  God did not just take away the troubles of Mephibosheth, but rather revealed to him His own gracious character in the way He never leaves His people.  Also, this passage shows the home of eternity when we will be made whole again and sit at the table with our Heavenly Father in a most glorious place.

I would challenge you and myself to read this passage of 2 Samuel 9 again and be completely amazed by the mercy of God and the promise of perfect eternity with Him.

“You will only know the love of kind jesus if you will actually see that you are Mephibosheth. Thats who we are… helpless, shameful, enemy of the king, and get ready to be amazed by the kindness of God”  

Rev. Brian Sorgenfrei