Where We Belong

Introduction

Good Morning! This is crazy to me, but we’re already on day 3 of ARISE Summer Retreat 2019.

Before we get started, let me introduce myself. My name’s John, I’m the youth pastor at St. John’s KUMC, I’m a seminary student at Gordon-Conwell, I’m full-time ARISE Staff, and I’m on the praise team for this years retreat. My youth kids already know this, but I grew up in central Florida in between an orange grove and a cow pasture, and, to answer the burning question that I’m sure all of you have: I have eaten an alligator. Numerous times. I remember my first time very clearly: My uncle pulled into my grandparent’s back yard, and said to me “come look in the back of my truck.” Now, I’m about 6 or 7 at the time, so I go out, I look into the tailgate of his truck, and I see a dead alligator about 5 ft. long just chillin. So he took, cleaned it, cut off its tail, and then deep fried it. And we ate it. And it was fantastic. Central Florida is a weird place.

Our Need for Belonging

Anyway, that’s a little bit about me. Now, what I want to talk about this morning is something that has recently caught my attention. Theres this one word, this one idea that I see all of us striving after, whether we realize it our not, and it’s “belonging.” Now, all of us in this room, including myself who is older than most of you by at least a decade, all of here have grown up in a period of history where connectivity is easier and more convenient than ever before. We’re all able to send texts, some of us facetime, most of us have an email, facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, tik tok, and numerous other applications that allow us to be connected to each other 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Just to illustrate how connected we are, I checked my phone settings the other day. And one of the options available is “screen time.” So I was curious how much time I had spend on my phone that week, and at the time of checking it, it had only logged my usage from Sunday to Friday. I clicked it, and I was in legit shock. Between facebook, instagram, email, texting, and snapchat, I had spend 20 hours that week on my phone. That’s 12% of my week. I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time on my phone. But, what research shows is, despite constant connectivity, modern people, us, are lonelier than than any other group in human history. We’re lonely, and we struggle to find belonging. True belonging, finding who our people are, is what we are searching for. And research backs this up. Not only are we all searching for a place to belong, but finding that place is necessary for our own happiness. When it comes to sustained happiness, money, success, education and all of the other things we seek out do not compare to belonging. So what is belonging? Basically, it’s this desire within us to be a part of something larger than us.” So, hold on to that definition. We’ll unpack that later.

Table Story

Now, when I think about belonging, I always think about tables. Some of the most important and most intimate moments in all of human history took place at the dinner table. Jesus shared his last meal with his disciples at a table. And when I think of the table, I think specifically of the dinner table at my parent’s house. Growing up, my parents always made us eat dinner at the table. And, depending on my mom’s schedule, dinner might be as early as 6:30, or as late as 9:30. But, we usually ate together at the table. Dinner itself usually consisted of small talk. So, things like “what did you do today, how was school, how was work, etc.” But, after dinner conversations were always my favorite. Many nights there was laughter some nights tears, some nights final goodbyes were said, other nights, family decisions were made. A lot of things took place at the table. And you need to know this about me, I’m very different from my family. Like, I have very little in common with most of them. They’re all farmers and work in agriculture, and I’m a pastor in New England. But, I know that no matter where I’ve been, what I’ve done, or how different I am, I know that I will always belong around that table with my family. But, there’s a specific table I want us to look at this morning. So, turn in your bibles to .

2 Samuel 9:1–13 ESV

And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

Exposition

Exposition

This is the word of the Lord.

Prayer

Mephibosheth is one of those characters in scripture who pops onto the scene very briefly - we have 13 verses on him. But, his story teaches something profound. It begins here with King David speaking and he asks “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul.” Now, David wasn’t always King of Israel. Before David was a man named Saul. Saul reigned as Israel’s first king, but during this reign, because of Saul’s disobedience, God’s anointing passed from Saul onto David. So, Saul was still King, but he knew that David was next in line. Saul’s house would fall, and his crown would be given to David. And at a certain point, David lived in the house of Saul, and Saul tried to murder David numerous times, causing David to go into hiding. A lot took place between David’s life and this story here. But, here, David is reigning as King over Israel, and he’s at the height of his power, and he asks, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul?” Now, this question was usually asked by a King about the previous king’s house so that he could kill any remaining members or descendents of the previous king. When there was a regime change in ancient kingdoms, you would wipe out anyone who could potentially pose a threat to you rule. But, that’s not why David asks this questions. David wants to know if anyone is left in Saul’s house so that he may show “kindness” for Jonathon’s sake. Now, the word kindness here comes from the Hebrew word “Hesed” y’all say that with me. And it means loving kindness, or mercy, or grace. It’s kindess shown to someone who doesn’t deserve it, cannot earn it, and cannot repay it. This is what David wants to show to Mephibosheth.

But, as the text says, he wants to do this because of Jonathon. Some of you may know this, but Jonathon was King Saul’s son. But, he was also David’s best friend. And, had Saul been obedient to the Lord, Jonathon would have been King after Saul passed away. He was the heir-apparent, next in line for the throne. But, Jonathon knew that David was the rightful King, and he knew that God’s anointing had passed from his father to David, and he knew that his father was jealous and was trying to have David killed. And knowing this, Jonathon makes a covenant with David in

1 Samuel 20:13–17 ESV

But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

1 Samuel 20:14–17 ESV

If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Jonathon and David had a very close friendship, and Jonathon was willing to sacrifice his relationship with his father to make sure that David remained safe. And, he knows that David will be king soon, and he knows that there’s going to be a war, so he says, if he’s alive after the war, he says to David, please show me the steadfast love of the LORD. But, Jonathon likely knows that he won’t survive the coming battle, and so he extends this request to include his family. And so, David and Jonathon make a covenant, and we read later that Jonathon has died.

David asks the question, is there anyone left, and so David’s people go searching for someone, and they find someone from Saul’s house who was a servant. So they bring this servant, Ziba, to King David, and he questions him and asks “Is there anyone from the house of Saul that I can show kindness to?” And Ziba responds. Not only is there someone left, but it’s Jonathons son! Jonathon, David’s best friend, has a son who is still alive. But, as Ziba tells us, he’s crippled in both of his feet. Why this designation?

Earlier in this book, in chapter 4, we’re told what happened to him.

2 Samuel 4:4 ESV

Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth’s nurse finds out the Saul and Jonathon are dead, and she knows that technically, Mephibosheth is in line to be king. And because of this, and because God has chosen David to be the next King, she knew that the army was on their way to kill Mephibosheth. So she grabs him, and she runs, and in her rush to get him out of their, she drops him. He probably broke both of his feet, and now he’s crippled. In ancient culture, if someone had a disability such as this, they were viewed as less than. They didnt really belong anywhere. And the way that Ziba says this sounds like “Yeah, David, there is someone left from Saul’s family, and it’s actually Jonathon’s son, but… he’s crippled. He’s not someone you want in your presence, and he’s not someone you want in your court.” But, Notice David’s response. He doesn’t say, “How bad is it?” He says, “Where is he?” David, King David, doesn’t care about his disability.

And so, Ziba says, he’s in Lo-Dabar. Now, a lot of time has passed when this story takes place. Mephibosheth isn’t a little boy any more. He’s older, and he has a family. And so, he’s likely been hiding from King David because he’s afraid the David will kill him. And he’s hiding in a place called “Lo-Dabar.” And this name, “Lo-Dabar,” means no pasture. This place is a dessert. It’s a wasteland. It’s a lonely, desolate place. This is where Mephibosheth is hiding.

And so, David says to bring him to him. Bring him here. So, the guards or soldiers go out and get him. And, you have to see this, Mephibosheth is terrified. He’s been in hiding all of his life because he’s likely been told that David will kill him if he finds him. And now, David has found him. And verse 6-8 says And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

Meph comes, terrified, and he bows down to David, and David says Don’t be scared! I’m going to show you kindness! And so, David restores to Mephibosheth all of the land that belonged to Saul. This would have been a lot of land. Meph, within a few moments, went from living in a desert wasteland, to owning thousands of acres of land and is now extremely wealthy.

But that isn’t all that Mephibosheth gets. David says to him “you shall eat at my table always.” And those story ends, with “So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.” Mephibosheth now eats at the kings table as one of his sons for the rest of his life.

Application

I’ve read and re-read this story this week. And what sticks out to me is that last part. Mephibosheth always ate at the king’s table. Mephibosheth, who was living in poverty, who is crippled, has now been given a place to belong. And it’s at the King’s table. All of us struggle with belonging. And, it’s not lost on me that as Korean-Americans, you have a unique struggle with finding belonging that I will never fully relate to.