Grace Makes a Place | David & Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9)

Connection

Feeling good enough to be around God // enough space at the table?

Transition

Word

2 Samuel 9:1 NIV

1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

When people heard this they were shocked b/c you didn’t show kindness to the family you just succeeded in power. You found them and you killed them. David had very cultural right nd precedent to find and kill all members of Saul’s family.

This is very odd for a king.

2 Samuel 9:2–5 NIV

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. 3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

Jonathan and David were hunting buddies man, they were tight, been to war together and had the whole intermixed weird family dynamic - we’re friends but dad wants to kill you.

Social reality: In a warrior–agrarian culture, being “lame in both feet” meant low status, dependence on a patron, and exclusion from elite roles (soldier, court official, priestly officiant). People could (and did) stigmatize disability—think of the “blind and lame” taunt in 2 Samuel 5:6–8 and Mephibosheth calling himself a “dead dog” (2 Sam 9:8). Stigma was real.

Legal/ethical reality: Torah protects the vulnerable. It forbids mockery or harm to those with disabilities (Lev 19:14; Deut 27:18). It builds a culture of care—gleaning, almsgiving, hospitality—so those who can’t secure land or fight still eat and belong. Disability ≠ sin, ≠ ceremonial uncleanness.

2 Samuel 9:6–7 NIV

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Whoa David, you’re inviting him to eat at the kings table? That’s like saying he’s family.

That’s including him in the throne room during dinner, that’s affirming who he is and his family name, David are you sure this is the best decision? This will make you look weak in the eyes of the nation.

Stop for a moment — David is extended to Meph something that we all need….

2 Samuel 9:8–13 NIV

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

Grace: undeserved, unmerited favor

Turn to make us Meph, not David!

Meph didn’t deserve this honor that David extended him and David owed him nothing. David is doing this b/c of Saul and Jonathan. Served with Saul, he was sad when he died and he was sad when Jonathan died.

David is making it a point to give grace to someone who didn’t deserve it….

Let’s take a moment… would you do that? Honestly, would you extend grace to someone who is a threat to your throne?

Do you give grace to the person at work who consistently undermines you, who takes credit for your ideas, or perhaps even poses a legitimate threat to your promotion? Our natural instinct is to build a defense, to strategically counter-move, maybe even to subtly sabotage. But grace?

Do you give grace to the woman at work who is always late on projects, consistently dropping the ball, making your team look bad and adding to your workload? It’s easy to feel frustrated, to complain to management, to wish they'd just be fired. But extending genuine grace?

Do you give grace to the parent at the soccer game who is yelling at their kids, embarrassing them, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone? Our immediate reaction might be judgment, annoyance, or a desire to step in and correct their parenting. But a posture of grace?

Do you give grace to the family member who consistently disappoints you, who drains your energy, or who seems determined to stir up conflict at every gathering? It's tempting to pull away, to limit contact, to protect ourselves from their chaos. But to lean into grace?

Here’s what I’ve noticed about grace, we all want it but have a hard time giving it. Why? B/c judging is easier, writing off is easier, being unkind is easier.

Sometimes we just want people to pay for what they’ve done, like they’re a criminal...

Invitation

Here’s the special thing: Jesus extends his grace to you. You can have freedom, you can have access to this unmerited un deserve favor in the eyes of God.

Jesus presents us with this gift, we simply have to accept it. Jesus did this in his earthly ministry all the time.

Matthew

Zaccheus

Rev 19, supper with the Lamb

Like Meph, we are depraved and we are struggling through life, and in that Jesus offers us a seat at his table of grace.

Table and Chairs up on the stage? This would be awesome, figure out how we can do it… two chairs.

When will you take your seat?

Have you ever imagined what you'd do if you finally got the upper hand over someone who hurt you?

Maybe it’s the person who lied about you behind your back and nearly cost you your job.

Maybe it’s the coach who never believed in you.

Maybe it’s the ex who shattered your trust.

We’ve all played this out in our heads—even if we won’t admit it. “What would I do if I had the power now?”

Maybe you wouldn’t seek revenge. But... you’d want them to know you didn’t need them.

You’d want them to see you thriving without them.

You’d want a little recognition, a little regret in their eyes.

That’s a human response. That moment when you finally win, or gain the upper hand—and the people who doubted you, dismissed you, or tried to destroy you have to watch.

And right there, in that moment, you have a choice: Do I extend grace to them? Or do I… get my revenge?

Hurt them back?

Leverage my new power to get what I want?

So what do we do with that? How do we have grace for people the way God has grace for us? It starts with a prayer...

Lord Jesus, help me see ______ like you see them.

Lord sees them as a son or daughter.

The Lord takes all of their story into account.

The Lord loves them regardless of what they can do for him.

This is a prayer that every time I’ve prayed, God has answered.

Lord Jesus, help me see ______ like you see them.

How much different would you treat your wife if you thought this way?

Wife/Husband

Kids

Co-workers