"The True Spirit of Giving"
2 Samuel 4:4,and chapter 9)
-Rev. A. L. Torrence, Pastor of
The Cross of Life Lutheran Church
“It’s the hard knock life for us.
It’s the hard knock life for us.
Steada treated, we get tricked.
Steada kisses, we get kicked.
It’s the hard knock life!”
Those words from the Broadway musical, “Annie” which was also covered by the young rap artist Jay-Z best describes the opinion of many who have suffered much and still have so little. It’s the hard knock life for us. Heartaches and hell, trouble, pain and travail. Many can testify to living lives of hard knocks.
Brother Job even tells us that, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” In other words, during this life we get knocked around. We get knocked down. And some of us even get knocked out. Troubles will be in our way. We will frequently find ourselves in the midst of a storm. We can say like the poet, Langston Hughes, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It has tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up – bare.” Yes, we have suffered so much. We have been through the fire and gone through the flood. We have been tested and we have been tried. For some of us, every day is hard. It’s difficult to fall asleep at night. And it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. It’s the hard knock life for us.
No one could probably better testify to the difficulties and struggles of hard living than the person described in our text - Mephibosheth. His life well illustrates the effect of continued disasters, disappointments, and anxieties. In reading his story, we already know that he is motherless because he is under the care of a nurse. Then we are told that at age five his father, Jonathan, David’s best friend was killed in battle along with his grandfather King Saul.
And to literary add injury to lost, we are further told that when Mephibosheth’s nurse heard the news of the killing of his father, she panicked and attempted to escape harms way. And in her fleeing, she dropped baby Mephibosheth – causing him to become lame. For the rest of his life he was crippled. This little prince who was to one day be king became a lamed pauper living in seclusion. While his family was being assassinated, murdered, and exiled, his future as a king would never be fulfilled. One careless incident caused by another resulted in tragedy, misfortune, and sadness.
Many can relate to being the victims of such circumstances. Everyday we hear stories about the victims of someone else’s carelessness. Like the child killed by a stray bullet from the barrel of gang member’s gun. Like the mother struck dead by a drunk driver leaving a company party. Like the passengers, killed in an airline crash because of the drowsiness of an airline controller -- like, the misdiagnosis of a cancer patient, due to ill trained lab technician. There are those who can testify to being victims of someone else’s mistakes. Like Mephibosheth who trusted his nurse, some of us can relate to being dropped by those in who we placed our trust. We too are living crippled lives because someone in whom we showed some trust has dropped us – Like, incest survivors injured by parents who touched too much: Like, victims of ‘date rapes’ scarred by men who were thought trustworthy: Like, wives being dropped by their husbands for younger women because of midlife crisis: Like, single mothers and pregnant teenagers dropped by boyfriends and husbands who couldn’t handle the pressure of fatherhood and marriage: Like, newborns and babies being dropped into trashed bags, because mothers can’t handle motherhood; Like, Black children being dropped from the rolls of an educational system that stereotypes them candidates for special-Ed: Like, the unemployed worker dropped from the company’s payroll after years of faithful service; like, the thousands of cancer and aids patients, dropped from the case loads of doctors who can no longer afford to treat them because of the bureaucracy of HMO’s and Medicaid; and even like, the majority of American public are being dropped by a republican congress, which cares nothing for our public opinion concerning the impeachment of a president who has done more for blacks since the president Kennedy .
Yes, like Mephibosheth we know what it feels like to be dropped by someone or something that we’ve trusted. And, our lives are still suffering the crippling effects of those disappointments. We are afraid to trust again because we have been lied to. We are afraid to take chances because of past failures. We are afraid to follow our heart because just the thought of making one more mistake sends shivers down our spine. We can’t handle another tragedy. We can’t go through another illness. We can’t sit through another funeral. We are just hanging on by a fine thread. NO, we can’t handle any more of life’s misery. We need to see some of God’s mercy. We need someone to show us the kindness of God. Our very souls cry out, “Lord, have mercy on me!” Have mercy on me Lord because the doctor says one more stroke may place me six feet under. Have mercy on me Lord, because I’m just a paycheck from being homeless and I’m being laid-off next week. Have mercy on me Lord, because my marriage is falling apart and my daughter is becoming sexually active. Have mercy on me Lord, because the AIDS test came back positive. Have mercy on me Lord, because my child is talking about college, and we don’t have the money. Our very souls cry out “Lord, have mercy!”
And I don’t know about you but I need the type of mercy that only God can give. I need the see the kindness of God upon my crippled life. In this season of greetings and glad tidings I believe we all can use a little mercy. If we desire a worthwhile gift, it would be to see the mercies of heaven shining around us. We want to receive some mercy. And I don’t know about you but I don’t need another Rolex or Timex I need some mercy. Don’t give me a beanie baby or Barbie collections, I just want some more mercy. I don’t need another diamond that’s going to turn yellow, or another gold chain to turn my neck green. No, what I need is some mercy. Like Mephibosheth, I need a gift from a King. I need the king who is still sitting on the throne to render some mercy upon my miserable state. I need my lord to have some mercy on me.And the good news is that we can obtain some mercy. WE too can receive the kindness of God upon our lives.
You see the answer lies in the actions of King David. He demonstrates for us what Christ has already told us. David knew what so few of us Christians have yet to realize. He knew that the best way to get mercy from the Master is to show some mercy to his children. That’s what Jesus was saying when he stated - “blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” In other words, we who need the lord to have mercy on us we must show some mercy on others. Those who show mercy will receive mercy. We must show that aspect of God’s love that will liberate those burdened in misery.
Look at the text, David, who went from being a ruddy shepherd boy to a mighty warrior king, now desires to show someone the kindness of God. He wants to be merciful to someone else because God has been merciful to him. IN MY mind’s eye, He has the true spirit of Christmas. He desires to give to others because God has given so much to him. No wonder David could still be considered the apple of God’s eye, even after committing adultery, because he once showed someone some mercy. No wonder he could be called a “man after God’s own heart even after committing murder, because he showed someone some mercy.” David received mercy even in his wrongs, because he was merciful to others.
And I tell you we all can take a lesson from David and show some mercy. The fat cats in congress could take a lesson from David and show some mercy. President Clinton could take a lesson from David, if really wants a reasonable, bipartisan, response to his plight.
He would show mercy on those all those sitting on Death Row and change his views on the death penalty- if he really wanted a demonstration in mercy.
WE all can take a lesson from David and show the kindness of God – show forth some mercy on others. But we must ask ourselves what does this kindness of God looks like? What are the characteristics of this gift from a king? How can we show the world some God like mercy during these merciless times?
Well David shows us that the kindness of God is inclusive, intimate, and consistent. It’s more than politically correct. It’s up close and personal. And it’s dependable The kindness of God differs from human kindness. Any body can show human kindness but we the children of God are challenged to show godly kindness.
Well, what are you talking about preacher. Well, Christmas is the time of year when we see many acts of human kindness but rarely do we see the kindness of God. During this season, we see people giving to their favorite charities but stepping over the homeless in the train station. We hear ourselves exchange holiday salutations with strangers and still cuss and fight within our own home. The air is filled with songs of cheer, words of peace, and pleads for good will. Yet, we are bombing Iraq, fighting over our personal agendas in churches, and killing each other for coats, and sneakers. We even buy gifts for people who we can barely stand and yet still refused to tithe God his ten percent. Christmas is perhaps the only time of year when we witness elements of human kindness. And therein lies the difference. Human kindness is fair-weather and temperamental. It’s contingent upon our emotions and fixed by our financial budgets.
Human kindness is generated by our attitude and constrained by our relationship to the recipient. Human kindness is governed by who’s been bad or good, naughty or nice. It’s confined to the discounts at Macys’s, and credit card limits of Visa, MasterCard, and Discovercard. It says that I give you a gift because you either gave me one or I hope that you’ll give me one. Human kindness says that I’ll be nice to you because if you’ll be nice to me.
But the kindness of God comes with no strings attached and it’s full and free. When we show each other the kindness of God, we are doing it because it flows from God. It is the love of God within the hearts of his people. It’s available to everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or creed. The kindness of God does not discriminate nor does it judges. It is to be shown to the lowliest creature. It is expansive -- ready to help all that need as far as our power permits. It doesn’t restrict itself to the good and worthy but even extends itself to the ungrateful and the wicked. The kindness of God is not just shown to our friends but it is also shown our enemies. The kindness of God is sacrificial. My efforts of giving are done from self-denial, and self sacrifice.
When I show you the kindness of God, I’m doing it at a sacrifice. I’m sacrificing my time, my energy, and my talent. I’m not giving to impress you but I’m giving to impress my God. I’m giving to you because I want to celebrate the kindness he has given to me. I’m thankful for the opportunity to give to God’s kingdom because he has done so much to me.And yet, I still realized that in all my giving, I couldn’t beat God’s giving. There’s no diamond flawless enough to express my mortal gratitude to a divine perfect king. There’s no pearl large enough to capture the depth of love I owe.
How can you give to a God who wakes you every morning to the serenade of blue jays, and humming birds? How can you thank a God who warms your skin with the radiating light of a fiery sun? How can you thank a God who gives you the moon and stars at night to sleep under? How can you thank a God who gave his best so that we can become better human beings?
And I don’t know about you but I just can thank him enough. I trying my best to give him my all, but I still just can’t thank him enough. Even though every day, I’m faced with the hard knocks of life, I still got me a savior who provides for my every need. He gives me just what I need. I may not have I all that I want. But I got just what I need. For just like Mephibosheth got an invite to always eat at the king’s table, I got a VIP pass to abide at my master’s table. He has a spread for me that for me alone and can’t nobody take my seat. That’s why this season when others are giving to gifts to please men and receive accolades, I spending my energy giving to the king of Kings and Lord of lords.
