Embracing Being Mephibosheth

I heard an amazing sermon last week. I was going to write it out in my journal so that I could return to it whenever I needed to, but decided to do that on the blog instead so that any of you who are still with me might be blessed by it too.

Mark 14:22-24

"And as they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.' And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And He said to them, 'This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.'"

To understand that new covenant that Jesus speaks of in this passage, and how it relates to how we live our daily life, take a look at a covenant relationship from the old testament: David and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 18:1-4

"...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul...then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt."

David and Jonathan had such a bond in their friendship that the Bible says that it was a "covenant." Imagine two boys cutting their fingers to be "blood brothers." Jonathan, son of the king, gives all he has that shows his royalty to his friend, declaring him part of the family. An adopted son of the king. A blood brother.

1 Samuel 20:8 (When David is explaining to Jonathan that King Saul wants to kill him)

"Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?"

David pleads with Jonathan for kindness according to their covenant relationship...or for Jonathan to kill David himself. It would be more merciful for his blood brother to take his life out his love for him than for him to die from the hand of his adopted father, the king.

Time passes and both King Saul and his son, Jonathan die. David becomes king. It was custom then, for the new king to wipe out entirely the family of the former king so that no one will try to lay claim to the throne. David, the new king, then does something surprising.

2 Samuel 9:1

"And David said, 'Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake'?"

Because of his covenant friendship with Jonathan, King David wants to show kindness for Jonathan's sake. The servants bring in Mephibosheth, who is crippled in both feet.

(Verses 7-8) "And David said to him, 'Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.' And Mephibosheth paid homage and said, 'Who am I that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?'...(vs 11)...So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons."

Mephibosheth was crippled and viewed himself as a dead dog. The cultural traditions of the times declared that the new king should kill him. But because of David and Jonathan's covenant relationship, David showed him kindness for Jonathan's sake, and treated his a son of the king.

So what does that have to do with us? With the Lord's supper? Plenty. The new covenant that Jesus declared at that table that night was between He and His Father, the blood then poured out for us. In the great mystery that is the Trinity, God the Father and God the Son are David and Jonathan, and they have the covenant relationship of blood brothers.

And we are Mephibosheth. Crippled dead dogs. Lame in both feet. Unable to even walk, and deserving to die at the hand of the king. But He calls us in to eat at His table and treats as sons of the king. He desires to show us kindness for Christ's sake.

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as, for Christ's sake, God forgave you."

May we, for Christ's sake, embrace that we are crippled dead dogs who are supping at the King's table, because of His covenant relationship with His Father. May we show kindness, for Christ's sake, to other Mephibosheths, because of His covenant relationship with His Father.