Sharing Kindness
“And David said, ‘Is there anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathon’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 Jonathon; 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 Jonathon, 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?’” (2 Samuel 9:1-8).
Saul had tried several times to kill King David. Saul was so intent on killing David that he ended up dying as a result. Because of his death, Saul leaves his grandson Mephibosheth to fend for himself.
Something surprising takes place though. David wants to find someone of the house of Saul to give Saul’s kingdom to. After talking with Ziba, it was found that there was somebody left of the house of Saul, this was Mephibosheth. David then called for Mephibosheth and after having lived in the wilderness as a crippled man, David would restore Mephibosheth and Mephibosheth would inherit the kingdom of his grandfather.
What is most remarkable of this all is the fact that David sought out Mephibosheth from the kindness of his heart. Saul continually sought to kill David but this does not stop David from showing kindness. In fact, David’s intention was that he “may show the kindness of God to him.”
Many people today would not have the reaction that David had. Many people would want to do harm to the family of Saul, but not David. Instead of doing harm to the family of Saul, David decides that he is going to show the kindness of God to Mephibosheth.
This is the example that the Christian should be sharing with the world. While the world always seems to be dragging us down, we should continually have the mindset of David with the intention to share the kindness of God with the world.
Share Kindness This Week!
