Radical Hospitality

In the story today, King David has come into his power, but he can’t stop remembering his covenant-partner Jonathan, son of Saul, who didn’t live long enough to experience all of the current blessings. So David, as he’s getting ready for another feast, decides that he wants to extend hospitality more broadly than is usually the case. David is committed to bless the family of Saul, even though that whole family line had been disgraced.

Listen in to this story as Kind David exhibits radical hospitality.

 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

“Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. - 2 Samual 9:3-11

Everyone was shocked by David’s hospitality - by treating what might have been considered an enemy instead as a beloved son. It’s hard not to think of God’s kindness to us in Christ as we ponder this story and the way that David honors Mephibosheth even when Mephibosheth feels unworthy.

As you ponder this, be open to how the Spirit may be inviting you into radical hospitality.