"Tracked Down by Grace"                        2011

(2 Samuel 9:1-7, 11, 13 NRSV)  David asked, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" {2} Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "At your service!" {3} The king said, "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" Ziba said to the king, "There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet." {4} The king said to him, "Where is he?" Ziba said to the king, "He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar." {5} Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. {6} Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, "Mephibosheth!" He answered, "I am your servant." {7} David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always." (2 Samuel 9:11 NRSV)  Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do." Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons.  (2 Samuel 9:13 NRSV)  Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

 

(Ephesians 2:4-10 NRSV)  But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us {5} even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- {6} and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, {7} so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- {9} not the result of works, so that no one may boast. {10} For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

 

 

As a businessman, when I operated a number of retail stores,

            if one of them wasn't profitable enough,

                        we closed it and moved to a different location;

                if some of the merchandise wasn't selling well enough,

                           we marked it down and discontinued that line;

            and if an employee wasn't doing their job,

                        we'd replace them with someone else who would do the job.

 

Sports coaches hold seasonal tryouts to select players for the team

            who are the strongest, best and most competitive athletes,

                        and the others who are not,   are cut from the team roster.

 

That's just how it works in this world -----

            we get rid of clothes that are stained, wear out or don't fit.

If something gets damaged or is defective it goes in the trash ---

            we keep what we want and find useful,  and throw away the rest.

 

In the ancient world, when a new king came to power,

            a normal and expected part of that process,

                        was to eliminate  all his enemies and any potential à

                                    rivals to his power, authority and legitimacy.

                                                by squashing any possible opposition like bugs.

 

For example, when David became king of Israel

            at the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan,

                        it would be expected to get rid of any potential heirs

                              by killing off any members of the deposed royal family;

                             so that David's enemies couldn't ever use any of them

                                    to challenge or question the legitimacy of his rule.

 

David came into power when King Saul and his son Jonathan

            were killed in battle against the Philistines,

                        but David had no desire to wipe out the rest of the family.

Jonathan had been David's loyal and trustworthy friend,

            who even rescued David from King Saul's jealously and  rage.

 

And once David had

            established and consolidated his kingdom and reign,  vs. 1,3

                        David asked, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"  … The king said, "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?"

 

This was a high point in David's life and reign.

            After years of struggle and difficulty,

                        God's promises and blessings were finally realized …

… and now David wants to pass along and share

            the abundance and blessings that he has received…

                        … in this instance,

                              David did not follow the wisdom and ways of this world.

 

And when he heard about Jonathan's surviving son Mephibosheth,

            he ordered that he be found and brought before the king.

 

When King Saul and Jonathan    were defeated and killed in battle,

            Mephibosheth had been just a little boy,

                        and in the rush to escape the conquering Philistines,

                 his nurse had dropped the young prince,

                        breaking both his ankles and crippling him for life.

 

As King Saul's grandson and next in line or succession to rule,

            with the rise of David replacing the royal house of King Saul,

                        Mephibosheth as a possible contender for the throne,

                                    was a living threat against David's right to rule.

 

As a crippled man, Mephibosheth was very vulnerable,

            and with his future at risk, he tried to keep a low profile

                by living quietly in exile, in distant & isolated Lo Debar;

                                                just in case David did decide to kill off

                                                            any possible contenders for the throne.

 

Lo Debar, the name of the place where Mephibosheth was living,

            is also a clue

                        that describes the quality of his life & circumstances.

 

"Lo Debar"  literally means,   "no pasture" ---

 

            it refers to a barren desolate region of worthless wilderness,

                    a lonely place of avoiding the king's attention or notice.

            Lo Debar says something

                        about Mephibosheth's perspective, losses and situation.

 

Lo Debar was a terrible wasteland that most people avoided,

            where no one would ever want to be  or pass through  or live …

                        … it was a stark and hopeless place representing à

                                    tragically broken dreams, regrets and abandonment.

 

No pasture – Lo Debar

            it describes the tragedy and disaster Mephibosheth endured –

                        for once he was a beloved and healthy little prince,

                           King's Saul's grandson with a bright & promising future.

            And now he is a crippled man in constant pain and distress,

                        whose best hope and future is   maybe he won't be noticed,

                                    or be deemed  too insignificant for David to bother.      

When his whole world came crashing down on him,

            and crushed by his losses, Mephibosheth moved to Lo Debar.

And I suspect that at some point,

            all of us            have had some experience with life in Lo Debar…

… those lonely and difficult discouraging times of regret,

            of when we have felt misplaced, defeated or unworthy;

                        just wanting to hide out, and escape quietly and alone.

 

Lo Debar is hopelessness,

            a sad and terrible place dread, regret  and resignation

                        beaten into fear & anxiety over what tomorrow may hold,

                                    and a joyless desire to be left alone in despair…

 

… and it is often   that place of Lo Debar   where God's grace

            shines into our fragility, darkness and disappointment,

                         calling us into the hope and renewed possibilities

                                    of God's promises of blessings and joyful abundance.

 

So from his Lo Debar, Mephibosheth is summonsed by the king,

            and he arrives fearfully,  cowering in David's presence,

                        for he cannot imagine anything other than more trouble.

vs. 6~7

            Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance.  … David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always." 

 

David recognizes that God has blessed him abundantly & graciously,

            that as Jonathan was his faithful friend who protected him,

                        so David wants to provide for his son's future and needs.

 

Not only does David provide resources for Mephibosheth to live,

            but also reserves a place of honor for him at the royal table,

                        which is a sign of welcome and acceptance,

vs. 11                    an invitation for friendship, "like one of the king's sons".

 

Mephibosheth came expecting the worst,  but David asks, vs. 3

            "is there anyone to whom I can show the kindness of God?"

 

"the kindness of God", is translated from

            a wonderful Hebrew word that is rich in theological meaning.

The word is "hesed"…  the defining characteristic of God,

            which by definition, "the steadfast loving kindness of God"-

                       

            - includes,    mercy and compassion,

                        and unswerving loyalty to promises

                                    as a faithful and loving relationship

                                       that endures through any struggle or circumstance.

 

It is the Hebrew word that best describes how God relates to us,

            with gracious love, mercy, righteousness and forbearance

                        despite our sin, rebellion, ingratitude and selfishness.

 

Jesus perfectly defined hesed through his own life and mission,

            for in Jesus, we see is it in  the father of the prodigal son,

                        in the Good Samaritan's care for the stranger in need,

                                    when Jesus welcomed & ate with sinners and outcasts,

                                                                and when he freely forgave

                                                                        the very ones nailing him to the cross.

 

"godly kindness" – embraces human suffering and distress

            with active concern for the well-being of others,

                and may well be the best word in the whole of human language.

 

It’s the one-sided gift of grace, compassion, goodness and mercy

            from the powerful    given to the power-less and unworthy;

                        the gift of kindness & hope far beyond ever being repaid…

 

… and we see 'hesed' in David's gracious treatment of Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 9:7, 13

    "Don't be frightened," said David. "I'd like to do something special for you in memory of your father Jonathan. To begin with, I'm returning to you all the properties of your grandfather Saul. Furthermore, from now on you'll take all your meals at my table." 

      …  Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, taking all his meals at the king's table.

 

Mephibosheth

            went from barely surviving in the barren wilderness of Lo Debar

                        to having respect and a regular seat at the king's table:

            "You are welcome and invited, for we are in relationship,

                        so take all your meals with the royal family,

                             for there is always a place for you at the king's table."

 

Because God so loves us, there is always a place and hesed for us.

 

            This is incredible, and thankfully true,

               even though we still sin, fail and even disobey God,

                    though we still do and say hurtful things that offend God.

           

God's hesed and grace don't measure how far we have fallen,

            or how far we have strayed or how broken and wounded we are;

but rather, we are truly welcome and invited to come,

            for God's grace isn't picky or selective

                        and no one gets cut, rejected or is not welcomed inside.

 

That is the real point and application of this story,

            that David, a man after God's own heart,

                        becomes an example and model of

                                    how to respond to the grace and blessings of God.

 

Having received the Kingdom and abundance of the Lord,

            David's desire was to pass along the kindness shown to him

                        by asking, "Is there anyone

                                    to whom I may show the loving kindness of God?"

            Having received, now I am called to give

                        and to serve as a reflection of the hesed of God.

 

Consider the recorded story of David ---

            that according to God's plan, purpose and intention:

 

                        David,  who was an insignificant shepherd boy,

                                    was used by God to defeat the giant Goliath,

                                                then blessed and empowered to become king,

                        … and David was now passing that along

                                    by showing God's mercy and hesed

                                                unexpectedly to the unlikely Mephibosheth.

 

David's hesed  matches the truth we read in Ephesians, vs. 4~10

            But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--  … so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  … it is the gift of God-- … For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

 

What we have in both texts, is the two-part movement of grace.

 

First, all are welcome and invited to come and share.

            Yes, it's by invitation only, but all are invited by God,

                        for our God loves - and wants no one to be lost or left out.

 

And it is actually a great and wonderful paradox;

    that if you think you are worthy,          then you are not;

            yet if you know that you are not worthy,   then actually you are.

 

            God is love --- and our God does not cut players from the team,

                        for no one is beyond the boundaries of God's hesed-love.

 

Second,  in our call to reflect God's hesed-grace we received,

            it means that when we gather as the people of God,

                        there may be some who were invited and present,

                                    some that we were not hoping or expecting to seeà

 

            but who are nevertheless 

                        loved and made worthy by God's grace…

                                       … for the truth is,

                                                 if God created them, then surely God loves them.

 

The message, which the Church exists to proclaim to the world

            is that God will never in this world   reject or abandon us.

 

The promise is, that God's love for us will never change or grow dim,

            because it comes entirely as a gift.

The gracious and loving hesed of God comes not as the reward

      for our being faithful, moral, or for our doing good works…

 

            … and this truth of God's unrelenting love         

                        has the unlimited power to transform

                                    everything about our lives and living…

                        … as God intervenes   and grace intersects  with our lives.

 

As we read earlier,   vs. 10

            For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

 

This world selects and rejects, and the world wants to determine

            who is worthy, and who is unworthy; acceptable or not,

                        welcome and not welcome, included and excluded,

                                    who is in and who is out.

 

But that's not how our God operates,

     for you are invited, I am invited, we are all invited into grace.

 

In a favorite Dennis the Menace comic strip;

            Dennis and his pal Joey are at the Wilson's house,

                        and Mrs. Wilson gives the boys some cookies.

 

            A little confused, Joey asks Dennis,

                        "I wonder what we did to deserve this?"

And Dennis answers,

            "Look Joey, Mrs. Wilson give us cookies

                        not because we're nice,     but because,   she's nice."

 

The Lord loves, invites and welcomes each one of us by name,

                                    not  because we are worthy, or deserving    or good,

            but we are welcome and invited   because   our God     is good;

                        Through Jesus we encounter the Lord's hesed,

                             and are then call to show the Lord's kindness to others.