Imagine yourselves as kings. You’ve been victorious in all your doings. You just made a name for yourself by returning from a total victory in war. You’ve been doing well, and you’ve been blessed and given the wisdom and ability to win battles... And from all the battles come with plentiful land and an innumerable spoil - gold, silver, and precious jewels...
What will you do?
I might be inclined to celebrate. I’d build a nice mansion with a multiple-car garage and fill it with expensive cars. Then, I will pay for everyone’s tuition. Lastly, I will write and sell a best-selling novel on how to be successful. I’d probably take measures to protect all the riches that I’ve gained by building a treasure city.
By the time we come to 2 Samuel 9, David had just returned from a big victory against the Arameans. He reigned over all of Israel and administered justice and righteousness for his people. God had been blessing him; the Lord gave David victory wherever he went. At that point, what does he do?
The first thing the Scripture records is this: David says, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?” When David came into great fortune and victory, he said, “All of this came from the Lord; it’s not my doing. So, how can I pay it forward? To whom can I show kindness?
David’s kingdom was not perfect—in fact, it was far from perfect. But in his kingdom, you see a tiny glimpse into the character of the future kingdom of God. David’s kingdom was one of justice and righteousness, as the future kingdom of God will also be ruled in perfect justice and righteousness. David’s kingdom and its wealth were dedicated to the Lord, just as all things will return to the Lord.
Interestingly, 2 Samuel 9 displays another aspect of his kingdom—a characteristic that most of us would not expect—kindness. David’s kingdom demonstrated kindness. At one point, Scripture describes this kindness as the “kindness of God,” as hesed. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of kindness shown to people who did not deserve it. But how did he do that? How did he mirror the future kingdom of God through his kindness?
The narrative begins with David asking a surprise question: “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul?" What prompted David to ask this question? What was in his heart? On the one hand, when David asks, “Is there anyone left?”—the key people of the house of Saul and their supporters had died. We know of the death of Saul, his son Jonathan, and most of the house of Saul at the battle of Gibeon against the Philistines. And we know that David had nothing to do with it. But what did David intend to do with any surviving member of Saul’s household?
Of course, we can’t forget that in Saul’s eyes, David had become his bitterest enemy. For years, Saul had obsessively hunted for David like a big game. For years, David had been running away to different places to escape the hands of Saul. At one time, he even had to flee to the Philistines (his enemies) and pretend to be insane just so that he could live. David was pretending to be crazy, making marks on the doors of the gate with his fingernails and drooling so that his saliva would run down his beard - how humiliating!
After Saul’s death, there had been a long period of war between the house of Saul and the house of David. So, at first glance, it would be no surprise if David was concerned that anyone who was left in the household of Saul might be a threat to him. Maybe David wanted to eliminate any form of threat that was remaining. Maybe he said, “I want to show kindness,” as a tactic to bring out the remnants of Saul’s descendants so he could take revenge! That’s what kings did in those days! What will he do?
Finding the remaining blood of Saul’s family probably wasn’t a simple task. But David eventually found a senior servant of Saul’s household named Ziba, and he was able to locate a grandson named Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, who was lame in both feet. His condition was a tragic consequence of a hurried escape from a political upheaval. As a child, Mephibosheth was taken up by his nurse in an attempt to flee when the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death reached them. In the chaos, the nurse stumbled, and the boy fell, and that incident resulted in a grievous injury, leaving him crippled in both feet.
Here’s a guy who has fallen from royal favor, vulnerable, powerless, and dependent. Once, his life was filled with promises of a princely or even a kingly future, but now he lives in fear. David wastes no time and sends for him
Finally, Mephibosheth arrives. The grand doors of the entrance open, the door creaks, and Mephibosheth hesitates at the threshold. His heart was pounding like a drum in his chest. He shuffles forward, his feet dragging slightly. He could not shake the dread that he was being led to his execution. Verse 6 says, “When Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.” Mephibosheth fell on his face and prostrated himself in front of David. We can picture him trembling with fear. How heartbreaking and difficult it would have been as a crippled person to prostrate with considerable difficulty and even agony.
Mephibosheth had no reason to expect the “kindness” of which David had spoken of. Shaking and afraid, he would not dare to lift his eyes to meet the king’s gaze. But David says to him, “Mephibosheth.” I have no doubt that David’s voice was kind. David then says in verse 7, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
I bet Mephibosheth was stunned. As he lifted his gaze and finally saw David, he saw not a vicious king but a friend of his father, a man of integrity and grace. Tears were probably filled with his eyes as he realized that kindness was being extended to him. But we have to ask, why all this kindness? Why would David go against the norms to show this extravagant kindness?
David and Jonathan, the good friends, bound one another in a covenant—that they would always look out for each other’s kids, that if one of them died, the other one would take the place of the father to those fatherless, and be guardians for each other’s children. David remembered and wanted to honor his covenant by showing kindness to Mephibosheth...
David shows him extravagant kindness, a symbolic expression of David’s love for Jonathan. It was essentially an act of grace. It was a reflection of God’s own kindness towards David. Here’s an outcast, a vestige of the previous dynasty, lost, forgotten, and unimportant. But David said, “Where is this son? Where is he that I may show kindness to him?” David seeks him out! Mephibosheth is also allowed to eat at the king’s table. If you eat at the king’s table, you are part of the king’s family—you are one of the king’s sons.
Also, being able to eat at the table was not a temporary honor. In our terms, it means that he would have a full pension with bonus, insurance, benefits, and more from the king for the rest of his life. Then, David restores to Mephibosheth the land of Saul. This meant land, resources, and, most importantly, the preservation of Saul’s descendants for future generations to come.
What are we to make of this story? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? In the same way that David demonstrated kindness to Mephibosheth, the Lord calls us to extend kindness to others. The Lord calls us to live out the future reality to come in this present world. God is calling us to display God’s kindness to the people around us—And our rationale for showing this lavish kindness is because we too, like Mephibosheth, received the same lavish kindness from God through Jesus Christ.
Just as Mephibosheth came from Saul’s line, a failed dynasty, we also come from a failed line - the dynasty of Adam. We were natural enemies of God - broken, hiding, and deserving nothing but judgment. But just as David remembered His covenant with Jonathan, God remembered His covenant with humanity and showed us steadfast kindness through Jesus - He made a place for us at His table. God sought you and me so that we can be called God’s beloved children. Since we have been touched by God’s kindness, God sends us out into this world and commands us to live as conduits of the same kindness that we received.
But I am sure our common experience in life tells us that showing kindness is easier said than done. The challenge isn’t the “knowing” part. We know that we have to show kindness to others; we know that we have to love our neighbors. The real challenge is the “doing” part. Our heads and our actions never seem to agree. Because of our fallen nature, our kindness tends to be shallow or temporary. We get frustrated when it starts to make us feel like we are making sacrifices. (We have to give our time, money, and efforts). Sometimes, we show kindness, expecting something in return (God, I am going to do this, so help me get promoted...)
Often, our kindness is selective. We choose who our neighbor is and who our non-neighbor is so that we can rule out people whom we don’t have to show kindness! He has a lifestyle I don’t approve of; she drives a Honda (I hate Hondas); he’s a liberal! I don’t have to show kindness to them!
At times, our emotions get in the way of our kindness. If I told you, “Be kind to Johnny,” but you hate his guts for some reason because his family did you wrong, then you will have biases and negative emotions that will spoil your kindness.
But the Lord calls us to show the kindness of God to all people we meet. But how can we show kindness? How can we go against our sinful inclinations towards shallow or selfish kindness? What is the basis upon which we make this lavish generosity and sacrifice to others?
We can show God’s kindness when we do it for the Lord - not for the person. We show kindness to others, as if we’re showing kindness to Jesus. It didn’t matter to David who Mephibosheth was. It was about who David knew. When David saw Mephibosheth, he saw his beloved friend, Jonathan, and it was for Jonathan’s sake that David showed kindness! David said, “When I look at your face, Mephibosheth, I see Jonathan, and that’s all that takes. It doesn’t matter who you are; I made a promise to Jonathan, and I will keep that promise. David saw Jonathan in Mephibosheth.
In the same way, when putting our kindness on display seems difficult, don’t look at that person; don’t do it for that person; do it for the Lord. Show your kindness for the sake of the Lord.
Jesus said this in a parable: When the Son of Man returns in glory, he will sit on his glorious throne and judge all people. To the righteous, he will say - come, you who are blessed by my Father... take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you in the creation of the world...
Jesus says, “For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in, and I needed clothes, and you clothed me.” But the righteous will say, Lord, when have we ever done that? When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you water? And Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me...”
Then Jesus points to the unrighteous, the goats - and tells them, “I was hungry, and you did not feed me... I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in.” And the unrighteous also answered, Lord, when have we not helped you? And Jesus said, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me...”
Our deeds of kindness are the Lord’s commands, upon which we will be judged on the last day. Jesus says, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.”
When we shift our perceptions and see Christ from the people to whom we are showing our kindness, our feelings no longer matter; who the person is no longer matters. The cost of showing our kindness doesn’t matter because we are doing it for our own Lord and Savior, Jesus who died and gave his life up for us. So, church, as we end this morning, how does your kindness look? God’s kindness began out of His love for you and me and has been proven through Scripture. He is calling us to be grateful for His kindness towards us and sending us into this world as conduits of His kindness. So, I urge you to put your kindness on display and go out and serve the Lord. Show the kindness of God to others.
