Byline

2 Samuel 9:13 ¹³ And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet. 

Sometime the names we gather about us are not what we would select ourselves. The name gathering starts when we are young and they are often not very complimentary. You remember the names! I had quite a list of them.
We almost never get the opportunity to select the names attached to us. They are chosen by those who observe us. Sometimes they are chosen out of jealousy and petty squabble. Sometimes they are earned with acts of bravery and kindness. But either way, we don’t choose the names.
Today our chosen person of history is Mephibosheth. Not too much is known about him other than he was the sole heir of a king. He had survived his father’s overthrow, but not without consequences. As he was being carried to safety, he was dropped and something happened that caused him to never walk correctly again. He was lame in both feet.
Our western minds begin to speculate on the cause of the lameness. Probably a spinal injury, we would say. But there was no rehab, no injections, no traction, no corrective surgeries. He became lame in both feet.
And that became the one thing he was know for. He was lame in both feet. We don’t know what else he accomplished. We don’t know if he sat around and did nothing, or accomplished a great many things. All we know for sure is that he was lame in both feet and that he ate at the current king’s table.
I wonder if he got the label because he accomplished so much despite his lame feet. Everyone was so surprised at what he did, that the lame feet became a badge of honor. Maybe parents around the kingdom said to their children, “If Mephibosheth can do it, then you can do it too.” He became an inspiration to thousands. We don’t know.
Maybe he became the object of pity. When someone was hit with hard times people would say, “He’s having a Mephibosheth moment.” There was a connection with the suffering of humanity that became evident in Mephibosheth. We don’t know.
We do know this: the king wanted to honor the relationship he had with Mephibosheth’s relatives. He was elevated from an exile, hiding from possible execution to an honored guest at the table of the kine. That is a story of grace at work.
You see, David the king had promised to honor the relationship he had enjoyed with the previous king’s son. He kept his word. He became a person of honor. And Mephibosheth was right there at this honorable man’s table.
We might not always know that ways our commitments and our actions will play out in the future. We can’t control that. But we can make our actions reflect the character of the God who extends mercy and grace to us. We can do it as David did, by extending mercy and grace to those around us.