We often think of grace as something in the New Testament only. The Bible says, “the law came through Moses, but grace came through Jesus Christ.” But the Old Testament is filled with stories illustrating God’s grace. In 2 Samuel 9 there is a the beautiful little story of Mephibosheth. He was Jonathan’s son and the grandson of King Saul. Jonathan and David were best friends, but Saul tried to kill David to keep him from becoming the King. He chased him all over the countryside in several attempts to eliminate him. David never retaliated. David and Jonathan made a promise that if either of them died they would take care of each other’s families. When Saul and Jonathan were both killed in battle and David was made King, all of Saul’s relatives went into hiding knowing that David would eliminate all the remnants of the Saul’s dynasty.

One of them was Mephibosheth. He was a paraplegic and had no means of running and hiding. Some argue that when the family was fleeing from the enemy army the nurse dropped him in the midst of the panic and that’s when his legs were broken. He managed somehow to get away. Sometime later, David asked if there were any of Saul’s family left alive after the battles and they told him that there was only this one little crippled boy. David sent for him. I think of what fear Mephibosheth must have had when he was summoned before the King. I’m sure he was convinced that he was to be executed with the rest of Saul’s family. But instead, David took him into his own household and cared for him the rest of his life. He sat with David’s family at meals and he became as one of David’s own sons.

Being born into the human race, I too was an enemy of God. I too will be summoned one day by God to stand before Him. I am crippled, broken in many different ways; emotionally, spiritually, and willfully. But God comes to us in the person of His beloved Son and tells us that he’s going to bring us into His own family. He’s going to set a place for us at His own table and He’s going to adopt us as one of his own children. Like the father of the prodigal son, He wraps his robes of righteousness around us, gives us the ring of family authority, sits us at His table and has a festive celebration on our behalf. I expect judgment and condemnation, but through Jesus Christ I receive Grace. Jesus said that He did not come to condemn the world but to save it. He was talking about me and you!

Chuck
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20