Healing Words (Part Three)

Mephibosheth’s story—If ever anyone heard healing words, it was Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. David and Jonathan were great friends. If Christian men are lonely today, it’s because they don’t have a David or Jonathan in their lives. The remarkable thing about their friendship is that Jonathan was Saul’s son and next in line to lead the kingdom upon Saul’s death. But God had other plans. Samuel had anointed David to be the next king of Israel.

Saul was furious at Jonathan for befriending someone destined to replace Jonathan on the throne. He was so disgusted with his son that he used vulgar language to vent his anger (1 Sam, 20:30-33). The keys to the “healing words” in the Mephibosheth story are two words: covenant and cripple. David and Jonathan had earlier marked their friendship with a covenant (vv.12-17). And a part of the promise was to care for their posterity after their death. But the word cripple also plays into the story (2 Sam. 4:4). The story is told briefly, but it has long-term consequences. In a reflective mood, King David asked his servant if there was anyone still remaining from the family of Jonathan. That promise to care for one another’s children must have dawned on David. The lame son of Jonathan was mentioned and the search was on to find him. Later, when Mephibosheth was found and entered the palace, he was fearful and prostrated himself on the floor before the king. He had no idea that what David had in mind was kindness (2 Sam. 9:1,3,7). It is the Hebrew word chesed, kindness based on a covenant. His self-image was so low he referred to himself as a “dead dog.” It is interesting that David never used the word cripple. Our society has been “cleansed” of some of the harsher, destructive terms that made some people cringe. Visually impaired and mentally challenged are softer words that, thankfully, have found their way into our vocabulary.

What healing words did this son of Jonathan hear? Four times in the story, David reminded Mephibosheth that he would be eating at the king’s table (9:7,10,11,13). Charles Swindoll gives us a picture of this gift in his book The Grace Awakening:

“The dinner bell rings through the king’s palace and David comes to the head of the table and sits down. . . . They hear the shuffling of feet, the clump, clump, clump of the crutches as Mephibosheth rather awkwardly finds his place at the table and slips into his seat . . . and the tablecloth covers his feet. I ask you: Did Mephibosheth understand grace?” (p.70).

You may have brought a heavy load of baggage into your Christian life. Perhaps, like Mephibosheth, your name has always been followed by an unkind label. Listen! We have been declared children of God, adopted into His family, and recipients of His kindness (Titus 3:4-5). These are our healing words!