Grace in human relationships

We are at a point in David’s life that we are now beginning to get into some of the trickier and much stickier subjects. It is usually at this point that we find we either love or despise David and stop reading and studying or continue on because we cannot believe the antics he gets into. In the next couple of weeks, we will study some of these stories, but for now, we still have a story of how David took care of those he cared about.

A little bit of background, just in case some of you might not have been with us up to this point…we have heard several stories of David’s young life, from killing Goliath to win favor with the Israelites, defeating the Philistines to be able to take back Jerusalem as the center of all things for the Israelites, establishing a united kingdom after Saul’s and Jonathan’s death, and now we find ourselves in the immediate time after David has had multiple victories over the enemies of Israel.

David’s Covenant with Jonathan

Two last points before we dig into today’s passage. The first is the fact that before Jonathan’s death, David and Jonathan made a covenant with one another… ( (NLT)

1 Samuel 20:14–17 NIV

But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

What I take from the story is that Jonathan cared so much for David that he pledged to always be in service to David and David pledged to always take care of Jonathan and his descendants. So David feels a bit obligated and indebted to Jonathan’s family for this covenant. And this is why David has begun looking for a person from Jonathan’s family that he can bless because Jonathan has died…

What I take from the story is that Jonathan cared so much for David that he pledged to always be in service to David. So David feels a bit obligated and indebted to Jonathan’s family for this covenant. As a result, this is why David has begun looking for a person from Jonathan’s family that he can bless…

Mephibosheth’s Story

The second point relates to the man that David finds in our story to bless. The man happens to be Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Now, here’s what happened to Mephibosheth. When Saul and Jonathan died, the whole of those who followed Saul were in turmoil. When the news of his father’s death came, Mephibosheth as just 5 years old and in her haste, his nurse tried to escape with him and as she did, something happened that she dropped the boy and he became lame in both of his feet…I think that about covers the background…anyone have any questions so far?

First Question

Have you ever had anyone in your life who did something for which you feel you need or felt you needed to repay?

What did you do to repay them for what they had done you?

Today’s Story

So like the examples we have just heard, David may have felt like he owed Jonathan’s family for the kindness and pledge that Jonathan had made to him. So we find him today looking for a member of Jonathan’s family. Now, there is another piece of this that we need to keep in mind as we go through our story for today…and I am merely guessing at this but to me, it does not seem like David was looking for a member from Jonathan’s family solely because he felt an obligation to bless the family but rather he did this because of the blessings he received from God. Got that…he did this more so because he wanted to honor the blessings he received from God…his motives were pure…there’s a lot to be said about our own personal motives when we do good things for others...

How David looks for a Descendant

So, to find a descendant of Saul, David goes to his advisors. Unfortunately, his immediate advisors did not know of anyone left in Saul’s family line. From somewhere, someone steps forward to say that there is one descendant left. Now, some believe that David was looking for descendants of Saul in order to ensure that he would not be challenged by anyone who was still dedicated to Saul. For me, I do not see this as his motive…as we get to the end of the story, I think it will be clear why I feel that way…regardless, this servant from the household of Saul steps forward and says, there is one person left from Saul’s family and it is Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth…and unfortunately, he is lame in both feet…So David has taken it upon himself to ensure that he is upholding his promise…he is in search of any descendants of Saul and Jonathan to whom he can give the blessing owed to Jonathan…with me so far?

Second Question

What kinds of oaths have we made and continue to make in this society? Do we have any oaths that are similar to the one that David and Jonathan made to one another? How are these fulfilled in our society, if at all?

When we talk about what David did for Mephibosheth, there is one overarching theme that comes to mind for me…the idea of grace and mercy. Now, when we think of grace and mercy, we normally think of how God has given us grace through Christ. And while that is important, I think it is also just as important to show others grace as well. To me, when we show others grace, we reflect what God has done for us. And it makes sense when you think about what Christ taught us…the vast majority of his parables and the things that he did, were to reflect God’s love for all peoples and in doing this, he taught us about grace. As we move further into this story, I want to carry our conversation into this idea of grace and what it means to show others God’s love...

Examples of grace in human relationships

There are many ways that we can show grace to others in our daily lives…we can show compassion (and therefore grace) when we see someone in need. story from the news about the elderly man who was passed by in Easton…While this is a drastic example of how not to show compassion to someone, it stands as a stark reminder that grace in relationships with others is more than just words, it takes action. Another way to show grace through compassion is helping those in need, on the fringe of society. Now, I acknowledge that some do not desire to be helped or assisted in either of these cases but it does not hurt anything to offer assistance…one of the best examples of this type of assistance comes from the book of Ruth. reflect the story of Ruth and Naomi briefly and then read the following passage…Ruth is daughter-in-law to Naomi whose three sons and husband died

Ruth 2:10 NIV

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Ruth 2:8–10 NIV

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

2 Samuel 9:1–7 NIV

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 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. 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.” “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 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. “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.”

(NIV): 8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Acts 28:2 NIV

The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Here is a young widowed woman and her widowed mother-in-law in need and a relative takes them in, gives them shelter, and redeems (marries) Ruth so that she and Naomi have status and standing within society...

Grace in relationships encouraged

Luke 6:27–28 NIV

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

(NIV): 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Proverbs 14:9 NIV

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Let me say this about this passage…it is really hard to show favor and grace to those who chase you down, put you down, destroy your psyche but when we think of David and all that Saul did to him, do you think he could have easily said, “You know what, Saul is gone, Jonathan is gone, no one else knows about the oath I swore to Jonathan. I don’t think anyone would know if I did not live out my promise. I can forget about it and move on with my life.”? Sure, he could have done that but he didn’t. He did not forget about what he had promised to Jonathan. He sought out someone that he could bless because it was the right thing to do, not for his own personal gain but rather for the gain of another...

Proverbs 14:9 NIV

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

(NIV): 9 Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. What profound words are these, huh? Fools make no amends but blessings abound for those who do the right thing…How about this one...

Romans 15:17 NIV

Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

Philemon 14 NIV

But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.

9 Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

Luke 6:27–28 NIV

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

(NIV): 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

David has stood as a pillar for what is right and just. While he ends up doing some pretty scrupulous things in his life, he finds favor with God because he reflects the love and blessings that God bestowed upon him to others. He doesn’t just do it because he made a promise but rather does it because he wants others to receive the benefits of the grace he receives from God. As we go throughout our days, I pray that each one of us finds an opportunity to bless another human being with God’s grace through our own generosity, compassion, and love. It is what God expects any way...

Prayer

Let us pray…Gracious, holy, loving, and compassionate God, show us someone in our lives that needs to be blessed. Show us in our daily lives someone who needs to see and hear about your love and then guide us to do the things that need to be done so that everyone we meet knows that we love you and more importantly that you love them too. Teach us, guide us, and show us the way, Amen.

Grace in relationships expressed as generosity and kindness

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Grace in relationships expressed as generosity and kindness

Deuteronomy 15:10–11 NIV

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.