Grace is like that
2 Samuel 9:1-13
By: Ysrael De la Cruz
Ethan’s story about Liquid Church stepping up to throw a birthday party for him on a Friday afternoon. (Liquid church: 6 Powerful currents to saturate your city for Christ. P71-72, by Tim Lucas)
God’s love and compassion for outcast and overlooked people did not begin with Jesus. We see evidence of God’s heart in the story of David and Mephibosheth.
Kings David was the second king in Israel. This is the David who triumphed over a giant with a sling and stone. King Saul hated David and tried to kill him. Saul’s son Jonathan was David’s best friend. When Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, David became king of Israel. He defeated the Philistines and brought back the ark of God to Jerusalem. There was peace in Israel during the reign of King David. 2 Samuel 8:15 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all the people. God had given David victory everywhere he went. (v.14)

King David did not ask his servants to throw a party for all his power and victories; rather he asked: “Is there any one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” This probably came as a shock to the officials knowing that Saul was enemy of David.

2 Samuel 9:1-13
David had the desire to show kindness (goodness) to anyone left from the house of Saul. Saul became David’s enemy; David want to do this for the sake of the friendship he had with Jonathan.

King David sent a servant to inquire if there was someone still left of the household of Saul. (v.2) A servant of Saul’s household named Ziba, informed David that there was a son of Jonathan left. (v.3)
There was one, a son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet.
Mephibosheth was five years of age when the news came that his father and grandfather were killed in battle, his caretaker dropped him while she was fleeing the house in haste. (2 Sam.4:4) That is how Mephibosheth became crippled. Then he became and got married.
King David was told where Mephibosheth was, and David sent for him (v.4-5)

Mephibosheth is brought before the king (v.6)
Don’t be afraid! When a king summons you, you did not know what the agenda was. So Mephibosheth had no idea why the king wanted to see him.
This is what David did for Mephibosheth. (v.7)
-I will show you kindness for your father’s sake.
-I will restore all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. (David would have people working the land to provide for Mephibosheth (v.9-13)
-He will always eat at the king’s table. (v.7, 10, 11, 13) (his status changed, from being abandoned and forgotten to becoming a royal person. Grace is like that.

Mephibosheth was overwhelmed by this kindness (v.8)
-Who am I that you notice a dead dog like me? Mephibosheth understood that truly it wasn’t just a feeling or low self-esteem he had; That is how people would view him in that society. When bad things happened to you, people viewed them as punishment from God. Being crippled would label you as the outcast of society; This is why he asked the king; what is your servant that you would notice a dead dog like me?
Have you ever been overwhelmed by God’s love, by his grace?

Kings David understood God’s grace and you get a glimpse of his understanding in the Psalms he wrote. Ps.8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? ESV

Psalm 103:10-12 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. ESV

Mephibosheth:
-Was separated from the king and the blessings of the kingdom.
-He was sought out by the king
-He recognized he did not deserve such kindness (v.8)
-He was redeemed (he was given a second chance, the inheritance of his family)
-He was given royal status as one of the king’s own children. He would eat at the king’s table.
Grace is like that.

What David did for Mephibosheth; God did for us. We too were crippled by sin and separated from his blessings. We were considered enemies of God due to our sinful attitudes in our mind. We were dead dogs deserving of God’s wrath; but God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Christ. Ephesians 2:4-9
4Butc God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God had the desire to extend kindness to you and he has done so in giving us a Savior. Jesus is God’s grace, mercy and love displayed on our behalf. God has been calling people to come to the table of royalty and enjoy the biggest blessing.

Ethan’s dad with tears in his eyes posted on fb. “I have to say something and let the world know what church really is….It’s truly unbelievable. Can the love of Jesus be any more evident here? Ethan was supposed to have a party on his birthday, and sadly we had to cancel. But then our church decided to have a special party for him. We are so blessed to be part of this amazing family! Ethan had bags and bags of gifts….Look at that smile! Thanks to the entire team, all the volunteers that love the kids with special needs, and his buddy Gaby for always taking care of our boy on Sundays. May God return what you have sown and shown.” Posted on fb

The church is the body of Christ, we are to show, display God’s loving kindness to others. Jesus does it through you and me. David decided to show kindness, Liquid church chose to show kindness to Ethan by throwing a birthday party. How will you show kindness to others? We too must choose to show kindness and compassion to the Mephiboseths and Ethans of our world. Grace is like that.