[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 30/Jun/2019]
Do you remember Mephibosheth? He had one of those polysyllabic Old Testament names that would confine him to a walk-on bit-part in history, except that Mephibosheth could not walk; a childhood accident had left him lame in both legs. How many of us have been the victims of apparently minor accidents or made seemingly-simple mistakes only to find that the consequences have affected the rest of our lives?
King David remembered Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, David’s best friend when they were young men together. After Jonathan died David sought to honour his friend’s memory by providing for any of his children who might be in need. This was very counter-cultural for that time; the usual expectation would be the banishment of any of the previous king’s family, to discourage any challenge to the throne. As a result of David’s love for Jonathan, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem and ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. (2Samuel ch 9 v13)
Do you think that Mephibosheth ever woke up one morning and said to himself – “I don’t want to go to the palace today. I feel so embarrassed and insignificant amongst all those valiant men talking about what they have achieved in the king’s service. I have nothing of value to contribute. Maybe I’ll ask the palace to send up a take-away.”
Do you ever wake up on a Sunday morning and say to yourself – “I don’t want to go to church today. I feel so embarrassed and insignificant amongst all those spiritual people talking about what they have achieved in the King’s service. I have nothing of value to contribute. Maybe I’ll go online and listen to the sermon later.”
Mephibosheph’s absence would have been noted; he had a place reserved for him. You too have a place reserved for you. Maybe not a specific chair in a certain row with your name on it but rather a place in the heart of God and amongst the people of God. His love for you has removed the threat of banishment and, as for those accidents and mistakes, it may well be that your experiences will allow you to make a valuable contribution to the lives of those around you.
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
