A Picture of GRACE

2 Samuel 9:3,13 (ERV)
³ The king said, “Is there anyone left in Saul’s family? I want to show God’s kindness to this person.” Ziba said to King David, “Jonathan has a son still living. He is crippled in both feet.”

¹³ Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. He was crippled in both feet, and every day he ate at the king’s table.

One well-known preacher of the gospel describes the Bible as God’s picture book. He says that throughout the Bible, beginning to end, God paints pictures through the events that occurred which reveal to His children glimpses of who He is and what He desires them to experience. One such picture story can be found in the story of David and Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth.

As with most of the picture stories found in the Bible, the story of David and Mephibosheth includes a number of different facets, each of which presents an important Biblical truth. The story of David and Mephibosheth can be seen as a picture of God’s unconditional love as well as a picture of His Covenant with His children. There is another picture that the Lord revealed to this minister of the gospel, the image of which is not as often seen. It is a picture of God’s GRACE.

GRACE is defined as “unmerited favor,” which means GRACE is one-sided. Man can never do anything to earn it – it’s all about God’s love for man and is never based on man’s love for God. The story of GRACE in the passage above can be found in verses 3 and 13 and surrounds the passage, “He is/was crippled in both feet.” Why were crippled feet mentioned twice in this story? Because “feet” in this context represented self-effort. When you think of a person’s ability to “do” something on his own, feet are normally needed to get the job done. In Mephibosheth’s case, he couldn’t do anything on his own because he was crippled. No amount of self-effort was enough for him to succeed in the natural.

The picture of GRACE unfolds as David first announces his intention to show God’s kindness to Mephibosheth by bringing him to Jerusalem, where he ate at the King’s table every day. When Mephibosheth was seated at the King’s table, his crippled feet were never seen; they were always hidden under the table, which was lavished with food fit for a king. The only thing apparent to those in the room was that Mephibosheth was treated like a “King’s kid,” enjoying all that the King’s table had to offer.

That is the picture of what GRACE provides for believers today. Like Mephibosheth, God has taken us into His Kingdom and made us a part of His family. Like Mephibosheth, our self-effort is not figured into the equation of salvation. It is the Blood of Jesus plus nothing that equals our righteousness before the Father. Like Mephibosheth, our short-comings and attempts to be good enough (self-effort) are never seen from God’s perspective. The Blood of Jesus “hides” (more accurately, removes) them from view. Like Mephibosheth, we need only accept the offer to sit at our Heavenly Father’s table and feast daily on what He offers us in every area of our lives. That is GRACE, and, it is indeed amazing! 

10/18