June 13

Mephibosheth

             David asked, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “At your service!” ³ The king said, “Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” Ziba said to the king, “There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”  The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”  Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.  Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, “Mephibosheth!” He answered, “I am your servant.” David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always.” He did obeisance and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?”

2 Samuel 9:1-8

    

            Saul had been the first king of Israel and had fallen out of favor with God.  Originally his son Jonathon, David’s best friend, would have been crowned king and the title would have been passed down from generation to generation.  However, David had been anointed king and he was beginning a new royal line.  In most of the Ancient World, this transition was violent and accomplished through blood.  The old king would be defeated and when the new king was installed they would seek out every potential heir from the old bloodline and eliminate them so that there would be no possibility of revolt and the return of the previous family.

            David was well within his rights to hunt down Saul’s heirs, but he did not.  He found the one remaining son of Jonathon and brought him out of exile.  Mephibosheth had likely been hiding, terrified to show his face.  David brought him to the palace and showed him every kindness, making the young man a part of his family.  David and Jonathon had been closer than brothers.  David had married Mephibosheth’s aunt.  The young man was not to be feared, he was to be welcomed.  The king knew that if he was overthrown, it would not be because of Jonathon’s son.  It would be because he had broken faith with God and God was removing him.

            Mephibosheth was five years old when word came that his grandfather, father and uncles had all been killed in a great battle with the Philistines.   His nurse understood what the news meant.  She quickly packed up the young boy and they fled their home.  In her haste, something happened and the boy fell, resulting in Mephibosheth being lame in both legs and unable to walk for the rest of his life.  Over the course of a single day, the 5 year old boy lost his father, his grandfather, his status as a prince, his home and his legs.  When he encounters David years later, he is a broken shell of a man.

            Many of our children were born into the IDD world with autism or spina bifoda or fetal alcohol syndrome.  This is all that they have known and all that we as their parents have known.  There is another segment of the IDD world that had one moment where their entire world changed.  I have talked with people whose children were involved in vehicle incidents or medical malpractice or unsuccessful suicides or some other sort of freakish accident.  Their kids experienced TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, or paralysis or some other loss of function and now they live in a world that they never imagined.  They often feel that their life has been forcefully taken from them; their kids have been cheated of their future.  And unlike kids who have been born with medical issues, there is often someone to blame…someone who caused the accident and left their children broken.  For Mephibosheth it was his nurse who was trying to save him but who left him with the life of a begger.

            Mephibosheth came before the new king and called himself a dead dog.  He felt cursed and broken, a man with no future and no family…someone who had nothing to live for but whom God would not let die.  The king looked at Mephibosheth and saw something entirely different.  He saw the child of his dear friend.  He saw a man who deserved a seat at the royal table.  He saw someone who had the blood of kings and was to be honored and respected.  He was a gift to be treasured, not trash to be discarded or a threat to be eliminated.

            This is how God looks at our children who have suffered TBI or have survived other devastating accidents.  They are not cursed and hated by the Most High.  They are treasures.  They are beloved children of the King which makes them princes and princesses.  They are to be honored and respected, not pitied and ignored.  Life has dealt them a harsh hand.  But they persevere.  They endure.  They invest countless hours relearning how to accomplish tasks they had already mastered.  They remain on this earth because God still has work for them to do. 

            As their parents, I give you this charge:  Cherish the time that you still have together and hear the honor and affection that the King lavishes upon them.

A moment to reflect:

What does God have to say about your child?  Listen for His words for a few minutes.