A Seat at the King’s Table …

 

 Photo by Kirsten Hunter Rose, 2021

Who would have guessed that a forgotten man like Mephibosheph would be invited in to dine at a king’s table?  And not just any king … I’m speaking of King David, the one appointed to rule over all of ancient Israel.   Mephibosheth’s story is a redemptive picture of adoption if you ask me.  It’s a hopeful story found in 2 Samuel Chapter 9 that is often overlooked.  

Like all of us, Mephibosheph had a history.  He was connected to the royal family of King Saul.  He was the grandson of Saul and the son of Jonathan.  Yet he had suffered insurmountable loss as a child and grew up virtually alone.  What surprises me is that Mephibosheph was adopted by David not as a baby or young child, but closer to the age of an adolescent or young man.  Artists vary in their portrayal of him, but whether 14 or 34 years of age, Mephibosheph was living without his parents in a foster-type home (at the house of Makir son of Ammiel). 

We have to look back to this man’s childhood to understand his adoption story.  When I read 2 Samuel 4, I try to imagine a five year old boy learning that in a single day his daddy, granddaddy and uncles were all killed in battle.  Then, came the added pain of being asked to flee from their home in order to stay alive.  Mephibosheth not only carried the grief of losing the patriarchs in his family, but he carried the memory of a traumatic event  - a terrible physical accident.  His caregiver accidentally let him slip from her arms as she fled their home during a difficult war.  Immediately the boy fell and became lame in both feet.  Mephibosheth’s life changed in an instant. It transformed both with the news of loss in his family line and his sudden injury.  (Little is shared about the matriarchs of the family, but we know this boy grew up with both physical and emotional injuries.) 

 Mephibosheph must have longed for a close-knit, supportive forever family.  His heart must have yearned for male role models to whom he could look up.  I wonder if this boy paused to pray to the God of Israel for just one person that might know him like a Daddy.  But who would remember a feeble individual like himself?  Who would even know or care to reach out to him?

Clearly God saw Mephibosheph in his pain and remembered him.  He had the goodness to whisper a reminder to David and nudge him to consider the descendants of Jonathan.  I can now see a wave of compassion sweeping over David when he learned there was one remaining son of Jonathan … a crippled boy who had been overlooked.

 Psalm 10:14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;  you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you;   you are the helper of the fatherless.

As David reconnected with Mephibosheph he reminded him not to fear, for the truth was he wanted to show him kindness and RESTORE to him the land that belonged to his grandfather Saul.  Yes, David wanted to restore inheritance to the family of his enemy!  But David also wanted to take a further step and formally invite Mephibosheph to pull up a chair, lay down his crutches and dine at his table!  What unfathomable generosity!  Who would treat a pauper like a prince?  Who would be willing to associate with the enemy’s grandson, a weakling at best, and break bread together?  And who would finalize it all as an informal adoption by adding a new son to the family?

Only a man after God’s own heart would extend such grace.  Only someone walking in close relationship with the King of Kings would rightly see that royalty was a gift and not a title to be earned.

I can hear Mephibosheth asking, “Who am I that you would care about me?”  His own name most likely spoke for how he felt.  It literally meant “from the mouth of shame”.  (As I ponder this, I wonder if it was because his grandfather struggled with a hard heart and spoke badly about David.)

Like Mephibosheth, we are each helpless and in desperate need of a loving friend or father.  We long to be chosen!  And the truth is, each of us is welcome into the royal family of God and given an open invitation to sit at his table!  What extreme mercy and kindness is available to us through Jesus.  

Today I see that I am just like frail Mephibosheth limping toward the table.  I am fully adopted into his Kingdom and grafted into the family of God .  I am chosen by His grace and heart of compassion  and not because of works or status or anything I have accomplished.  We each have an opportunity to be rescued if we accept the invitation Jesus offers and we will see our legacy fully restored!

 

 

Rejoice with me that Mephibosheth accepted the invitation from his newly adopted father, David, and received a forever home!  His adoption story should go down in history and remind us that no child or adult is too broken or too old to be remembered.  A seat at the King’s table is open to the waiting and to all who come  …

Please join us in networking to connect with a birth mom and bring a child home to sit at our table.  Share Jennifer's email: jerams@gmail.com or FaceBook account.

Want to join the giving?  www.adopttogether.org (search Gillette family)