Word for the day day by Christian Education Forum
Christian approach to differently-abled
2 Samuel 9:1-121, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul's family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?"
In this passage, we can see that the king displayed one of the most beautiful acts of kindness. Saul had obsessively hunted David to kill him. When Saul’s regime ended, David has crowned the king of Israel and remembering the promise that he had kept to his good friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son, he tried searching for anyone remaining in Saul’s family. It was common practice in those days to exterminate all members of a previous dynasty to prevent any descendant from seeking the throne. As long as a spark of life from that family still smoldered, it was a threat to the new king. Yet David’s response was quite the contrary. He asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul's family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?" (2 Sam. 9:1).
Locating the remaining blood of Saul wasn’t a simple task, but his thirst to keep the promise that he had kept to his dear friend Jonathan helped him find Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. When we read, 2 Samuel 4 it says “Saul's son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth” (2 Sam. 4:4). He was crippled, living in poverty in a remote and barren corner of the kingdom. When he appeared before David, Mephibosheth would have expected David to kill him because of Saul’s ruthless acts towards David. Instead, David said
This story in a way foreshadows God’s wonderful love and compassion for us, poor cripples, who lost our inheritance to the paradise kingdom. We lost it when we rebelled and sinned against God, and when in our enemy, the Devil. David’s words were not just a token gesture; they were extravagant - symbolic of his love for Jonathan. His words were an act of grace - symbolic of God’s love for David. His was a demonstration of love toward a man who did not deserve it and could never earn it and would never be able to repay it. David, the strong and famous king, reached out to Mephibosheth, the cripple and outcast, and expressed kindness to him as he had never known before. , “‘Don't be afraid,’ ‘since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table’" (2 Sam. 9:7).
Jesus came into this world to save us who have been crippled by our sins, to save us from the hostage of the Devil. Through His loving kindness and grace, he desired to restore us and give us back our lost share in the Kingdom of God. He calls and even urges us to heed His tremendously gracious invitation to come to Him and take our place among the sons and daughters of the King in His palace and at His banquet table.
Locating the remaining blood of Saul wasn’t a simple task, but his thirst to keep the promise that he had kept to his dear friend Jonathan helped him find Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. When we read, 2 Samuel 4 it says “Saul's son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth” (2 Sam. 4:4). He was crippled, living in poverty in a remote and barren corner of the kingdom. When he appeared before David, Mephibosheth would have expected David to kill him because of Saul’s ruthless acts towards David. Instead, David said
This story in a way foreshadows God’s wonderful love and compassion for us, poor cripples, who lost our inheritance to the paradise kingdom. We lost it when we rebelled and sinned against God, and when in our enemy, the Devil. David’s words were not just a token gesture; they were extravagant - symbolic of his love for Jonathan. His words were an act of grace - symbolic of God’s love for David. His was a demonstration of love toward a man who did not deserve it and could never earn it and would never be able to repay it. David, the strong and famous king, reached out to Mephibosheth, the cripple and outcast, and expressed kindness to him as he had never known before. , “‘Don't be afraid,’ ‘since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table’" (2 Sam. 9:7).
Jesus came into this world to save us who have been crippled by our sins, to save us from the hostage of the Devil. Through His loving kindness and grace, he desired to restore us and give us back our lost share in the Kingdom of God. He calls and even urges us to heed His tremendously gracious invitation to come to Him and take our place among the sons and daughters of the King in His palace and at His banquet table.
Prayer
O Lord, thank you for coming into this world to seek us who are lost and crippled in our sins and freeing us from the hostage of Satan through Your death on the cross. Amen
Thought of the day
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Smitha Annie Mathew, Staten Island Mar Thoma Church
O Lord, thank you for coming into this world to seek us who are lost and crippled in our sins and freeing us from the hostage of Satan through Your death on the cross. Amen
Thought of the day
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Smitha Annie Mathew, Staten Island Mar Thoma Church