February 10, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, February 10.
Today we focus on an Old Testament Bible character with a very strange name - Mephibosheth. He was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Jonathan. On a day when he was five years old, both his father and his grandfather were killed in battle. His nurse took the little boy and ran in terror from the camp. There was some kind of accident and the child was injured. Mephibosheth would never walk again.
David had a strange history with this family. At the same time that Saul was trying to have him killed, Jonathan was trying to save his life. That was a kindness that David never forgot, and in 2 Samuel 9 we witness David repaying that kindness. He was now the King, and possessed enormous power. One day he asked his court, “Is there anyone still alive in Saul’s family?”. The question caused great alarm, since, in that time, new kings would often have heirs of the old king put to death. David sent the command for Mephibosheth to come to the palace.
As Mephibosheth journeyed to Jerusalem, he must have felt like he was walking to the gallows. But King David, on seeing the son of his friend Jonathan, assured him that he had nothing to fear. David restored the lands and the wealth of Saul’s family to Mephibosheth, and offered him a place at the King’s table - a tremendous honor. The King gave Mephibosheth back his life. He didn’t have to do that. And, in doing this kindness, he risked appearing weak to his enemies.
But David chose the high road, chose to return Jonathan’s kindness. He chose to “pay it forward”, as the saying goes. In our world today, we witness the endless cycles of hate, the eternal cycles of revenge. David reminds us that we have the power to create new cycles - of forgiveness, of peace, of kindness.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
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