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2001
20th May (am) - David and Mephibosheth
2 SAMUEL 4:4, 9

Former President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, made a speech in Pittsburgh in 1932 advocating restraint in government spending. Four years later he wanted to make another speech in Pittsburgh, only this time he wanted to speak in favor of government spending. He asked one of his advisors how he could manage this u-turn without seeming two-faced. His advisor was straight-forward on the matter. He told Roosevelt to deny that he had made the first speech at all.

In first Samuel chapter 20, David made a promise to Jonathan. David promised never to cut off his kindness from Jonathan's family. This was a solemn promise involving firm commitments by David to Jonathan. David has since become king, and Saul and Jonathan are dead. After all David had suffered at the hands of Saul, it would have been understandable if David had conveniently forgotten his promise to Jonathan. After to all to show kindness to a member of Jonathan's family was to in effect to love the enemy. David might have surmised to himself that the promise he had made with Jonathan was over fifteen years ago, and it was only a ceremony, only a ritual. He could have been like Franklin Roosevelt and denied all knowledge of a promise to Jonathan, which would have been quite easy to do, because there were no witnesses to it, except God himself.

But this was not David's way. Instead he was faithful to the promise he made to Jonathan all those years ago. Time did not diminish the force of his promise and the seriousness of his promise. David remembered that the Lord was the wintess that day between himself and Jonathan, and David was now, as king, in a position to come good on the promise he made to Jonathan.

This is a wonderful passage of scripture, dominated by two themes. There is the theme of promise, which we have already flagged up, and there is the theme of grace, that most wonderful of Christian doctrines.

THE THEME OF PROMISE

We have already touched upon the circumstances of David's promise to Jonathan and how easy it might have been for David to renege on his promise given the time that had lapsed and the fact that there were no witnesses. But this was not David's way. He was faithful to his promise. As king one of his first acts was to fulfil his pledge to the now deceased Jonathan. David asks the question: Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? The promise made in the past directs and controls David's behaviour in the present.

The theme of promise is dominant in the scriptures. The promise of God to David that he would be king has come to pass. God's promise of a Messiah in ancient times, was brought to fulfillment in the life of his Son Jesus Christ. God's promise that Jesus will return still has to be fulfilled. On the basis of God's faithfulness to his previous promises we can be sure that this one will come to pass in God's appointed time. Will we be ready for it? Will we be ready to meet our maker and judge when he returns? There is hardly a page in scripture which does not contain something to do with promises.

The Bible speaks of a promise-keeping God, something we have already touched upon on in the life of David. Sadly, the world in which we live, by and large, knows nothing of the solemnity or seriousness of promises. Does not the promises of God and the fulfilling of the promise of David not impress upon us the urgency of us reflecting on the promises we have made at different times in our lives. My ordination vows, my marriage vows, many of you have made baptismal vows, we make vows prior to coming to communion for the first time. Do we remember the vows or the promises we have made? How are we doing with them?

Election fever is in the air. Every day the news is full of party politics and election promises. The Conservative party promise to be the tax-cutting party. The Liberal-Democrats promise to be the honest party, in other words if you want good services, then taxes will have to go up. And the Labour party promise to be better-second-time-round party. I wonder what promises our local parties will make over the next few weeks. Politicians have been known for making incredible promises. David made a promise that would not even enter the thoughts of politicians, for in his desire to be faithful to the promise he made to Jonathan, David effectively stated: "Is there anyone left in the enemy camp that I can love?"

Mephibosheth was the grandson of the man who tried to kill David out of jealousy and rage. This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen. The policies of kings in ancient times was to make sure that none of the enemies existed.

So you can imagine Mephibosheth as he is brought into the kings presence. He is perhaps expecting death, execution, because he was of the enemy camp. But no, David's first words to him were: Mephibosheth, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid! This isn't the way it is supposed to work. Mephibosheth considered himself a 'dead dog' in the presence of the king, but David tells Mephibosheth that he is showing kindness to him for the sake of his father Jonathan. This points us forward to Christ and to the words we read together in Romans: For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, ... God's promise of a Messiah, was a promise to show his love to those who were his enemies, and of course we include ourselves in that. For in effect God has stated: "In sending my Son as Messiah, I am showing my love to those who are my enemies, to those who have rebelled against me, to those who have rejected me, to those who have sought to do away with me." But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Recognise anyone? We are those people who are God's enemies, who have rebelled against him, who have rejected him, who have sought to do away with him, who are sinners, yet God promised to love us and he has shown loved us, undeserving as we are. Undeserved love is called 'grace'. The second theme this morning.

THE THEME OF GRACE

Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. As sinners, as God's enemies, we deserve death, for the wages of sin is death. God has been merciful to us in that Christ has died for us. As sinners, as God's enemies we do not deserve love, yet God in his grace has loved us by sending Jesus, and offering us the gift of salvation and the forgiveness of our sin.

Mephibosheth did not get what he perhaps did deserve. He got what he didn't deserve. As a descendant of Saul, he would have been seen as a potential threat to David's kingship. Why not eliminate him? But no, David gave Mephibosheth a place at his table. I am sure there were those who raised their eye-brows at such a development in the situation. Mephibosheth was on the receiving end of grace, getting what he did not deserve, because of a promise.

David gave this potential enemy protection (Don't be afraid), provision (And I shall restore to you all the land of your father Saul), and position (you will always eat at my table). Mephibosheth must have been overwhelmed at such loving kindness being extended to him. He knew he did not deserve what he had received. The rest of his life was one lived in love and loyalty to David out of immense gratitude. This crippled lad, who had no hope at all, received all that was beyond his wildest dreams, and lived the rest of his days in loyalty to his king and master who out of grace sought him, loved him and saved him.
My friends, does this story not move our hearts? Does it not bring a tear to our eyes? My friends this simple story is a gospel story. It is a story about promise and grace.

It is a story which relfects the heart of God, who out of love, promised a Messiah, a saviour, to those who are his enemies. God has shown his grace to us. This holy righteous God, who is well within his rights to turn his back and walk away, has given us what we do not deserve. We are the world's Mephibosheths, crippled with sin and without hope, undeserving of anything God has given us. As commentator Dale Ralph Davis points out: The first principle for grappling with the marvel of God's love is to realise that he has no business - in a sense - loving whom he loves. What I'm saying is that we are the Lord's Mephibosheths, and there is absolutely no reason why we should be eating continually at the Lord's table. Mephibosheth did nothing to warrant David's act of kindness. All he had to do was accept this free undeserved gift.

What about you and me? Can we marvel afresh at what God has done for us in Jesus Christ? Can we see that it is not what we do to try and impress God, but what Christ has done for us? God has extended his loving kindness to us, and has offered us the free gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. God has offered a place of security in his presence for ever, he has offered us an inheritance which shall never perish or fade, he has offered us a place at his table for ever. We have done nothing to warrant such kindness. However, have we accepted this gift and living a life of love, loyalty and gratitude to the giver?
The gift of security, provision and position was Mephibosheth's for the taking. He took it and lived a life of love, loyalty and gratitude to the giver, King David. The gift of eternal security, eternal provision and eternal position is there for the taking. God is offering it to us, have we taken it and are now living a life of love, loyalty and gratitude to the giver, God Almighty himself. God of grace and mercy.

Grace may be the name for a girl, but in the words of a song by rock group U2, it's also a thought that changed the world. The grace of David changed the life of Mephibosheth. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ transforms people's lives. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ transformed the life of John Newton, a coarse cruel slave trader, who renounced his profession, became a minister and joined with William Wilberforce in the fight against slavery. Newton only came to see the light gradually, for he continued as a slave trader after his conversion. In fact he wrote 'How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds' while waiting in an African harbour for a shipment of slaves. John Newton had a deep understanding of the grace 'that saved a wretch like him'. Words which we shall sing at the end of our service today. For in the words of U2 Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.

Some time ago I read the book 'Rachel's Tears' the story of Rachel Joy Scott, one of the young people murdered at Columbine High School, Colorado, a little over two years ago. It is the remarkable story of one young Christian who sought to make a difference in the lives of others because Christ had made a difference in hers. One of the legacies of Rachel Joy Scott's life is that she has left us with a grace filled challenge which her family have called 'Chain Reaction'. One of Rachel's missions in life was to reach out to three groups of students in her school with acts of kindness: Students who were picked on by others, students who were new or isolated, students who had special needs. We could say that these students didn't do anything to merit Rachel's kindness, but Rachel as one touched by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the empowering presence of God through the Holy Spirit, wanted to share the love of God with others. That is grace.

And grace is the thought that has changed the world. But we live in a world starved of grace, starved of unmerited, undeserved, freely given love and acts of kindness. We have lost sight of the fact that in our rebellion toward God we are no worse or better than John Newton. We have lost sight of the fact that in our crippling sinful state we are like Mephibosheth, in the enemy camp. Why should God love us? But he has. He has given us a way out. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ means that we don't have to try and impress God with our religious activity. It means that we don't have to endure the wages of sin which is death. Philip Yancey in his book 'What's So Amazing About Grace?' says There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. We are loved by God, simply because he has chosen to love us. And I believe some of us have difficulty accepting that. We think to ourselves that we have to in some way earn God's love. This is love, not that Mephibosheth sought to convince David that he was on David's side, but David said, Is there no-one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?

This is love, not that we have impressed God with our religious activity and have atoned for our sin, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners Christ died for us.

Says the Apostle John, This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as the only perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Have we grasped the magnitude of God's love for us? Are we not humbled and broken because we realise, perhaps for the first time today, that we have not deserved God's love? Can we see ourselves as Mephibosheth, crippled with sin, without hope, an enemy of the king? Can we in Christ the only hope we have, for he has paid the price for our sin? Can we see the free gift of forgiveness of sin and life eternal that is offered to each of us today? Is there anyone we know that we can God's kindness, not because they merit it, simply because we choose to act in such a way?

AMEN!