2 Samuel 19:28

New International Version (NIV)

All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”

For Meditation

“I regret bringing you to this country,” Kofi said to Yaw.

“That’s your business, for it is your folly to have done that.”

The two brothers were locked in a heated argument. Kofi, who had settled in the USA for some time, brought his younger brother to join him. The language and tone of the argument had no warmth between the two. How could anyone be that insensitive and ungrateful for such privilege? Is it possible we too, sometimes, respond to God’s grace that way? Not Mephibosheth!

A crippled grandson of King Saul, who deserved nothing from the king of Israel, Mephibosheth was invited by David to sit at his dinner table the rest of his life. It surprised David therefore, that Mephibosheth did not accompany him during his flight from Absalom. And now David was on his way back to Jerusalem, so Mephibosheth went to meet him. His response to David’s query is the best response to grace I’ve ever heard.  He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me … All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?” (2 Sam. 19:26-28).

Like Mephibosheth, we were all crippled and underserving of God’s love, but He poured it on us beyond measure. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rm. 5:8). We all deserved nothing but death (Rm. 3:23). Nevertheless, God gave us His gift of “eternal life through Christ Jesus” (6:23), His only begotten son (Jn. 3:16). Not only that, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). It’s a privilege and position we can’t work or pay for. It is pure grace (8, 9).

1. So, what more can we ask for?
2. Do we see ourselves this way all the time?
3. Are we grateful to God for His love in Christ?
4. How do we respond to the riches of His grace that He has lavished on us (Eph. 1:7, 8)?
5. Can we respond with Paul by giving everything away for Christ’s sake (Phil. 3:7-9)?

I pray that is our life’s perspective, and that like Mephibosheth, we too can give everything away to the Zibas of this world, because we have Jesus, our King Eternal, back from the grave (2 Sam. 19:29-30).

Shalom.