Day 11: a Seat at the Table

David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?” There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 2 Samuel 9:1–3, emphasis mine

The story behind Mephibosheth’s limp is kind of like a Jerry Springer episode. I’m sure you remember he was the grandson of Saul, the first king of Israel, who was David’s nemesis. But ironically, Saul’s son and Bo’s dad was a nice guy named Jonathan, who was David’s BFF. The Bible tells us that Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself. And Jon proved that when he defied his father to save David from certain death after hearing about Saul’s plot to kill his homeboy (1 Sam. 20).

Years later, after both Saul and Jonathan were killed fighting the Philistines, and after many bloody battles between the house of David and the remnant of Saul’s house, David finally won the right to occupy the throne of Israel. You may also remember from a world history class in high school that ancient kings were prone to murder the previous ruler’s family members to thwart potential coups. Of course, David had no intention of following that tradition, but Saul’s relatives didn’t know that. And they were especially worried about the safety of five-year-old Mephibosheth, because he was the presumptive heir to Saul’s throne. So they hurried to escape Jerusalem ahead of David’s advance team. However, during their frantic departure, the nanny took a tumble with baby Bo, crippling him for life.

Now here we are twenty years later, and not long after David makes a nostalgic request in Jerusalem, one of his ambassadors knocks on Bo’s door in Lo-debar (which means “barren place”). He shuffles to open it only to find a well-dressed official from Jerusalem standing on his stoop, who then asks him to gather his things and accompany him to the palace of King David. Surely Mephibosheth was terrified thinking, “What in the world does the king want with a cripple like me? Yikes, he must’ve finally decided to finish me off because granddad was such a jealous nutjob!”

The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied. (2 Sam. 9:4–6)

Mephibosheth was physically scarred and emotionally marred. He was a scratch-and-dent kind of guy. He wasn’t living the abundant life God promises; instead he’d limped to a barren place and had been languishing in that forgotten corner of the world for decades. Until a royal emissary knocked on his door and he assumed the jig was up. When Mephibosheth fell face down before King David, he probably didn’t think he was going to be getting back up. He likely assumed the lethal stab of a sword was what was in store for him. Instead David does something unthinkable when compared to a typical king. Instead of having Bo killed or imprisoned because of his family history, David proclaims, You will always eat meals at my table (below in verse 7). This meant that Bo would now be enveloped into the royal family like a beloved, adopted son:

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” (2 Sam. 9:7)

David doesn’t banish Bo from the earth, he invites him to his table. Similarly, we have been graced with an invitation to satiate ourselves with the scrumptious spiritual food at God’s family table. Instead of being viewed as an enemy, we can now enjoy dining with Him and join in the welcoming conversation that wafts around the table like the aroma of fresh-baked bread. Because of all Christ did for us, no matter how debilitating our limp is or what our crazy backstory might be, the King bids us to leave the barren place and come home to a banqueting table laden with grace. To where we belong.

• What kind of food would you choose to eat if you got to share a meal with a visible Jesus? Would you rather your first tangible dinner together be a formal or informal affair?
• Do you ever consider yourself unworthy to come to God’s table? How does this story encourage you?
• Who in your life might need to hear that in Christ, they are welcome at God’s table?