Jeremy L. Berg

King David is called “a man after God’s own heart” because in his best moments he prefigures the ultimate King of Israel and most famous Son of David to come — Jesus the Christ.

One of those great moments is the story of David and Mephibosheth. Briefly appearing in 2 Samuel 9, Mephibosheth is the disabled son of Jonathan, the son of Saul. Jonathan was David’s best friend, and defended him when Saul wanted to kill him. Upon his death in battle, David made a vow that he would care for the needs of Jonathan’s family in thanks for his friendship.

Let’s observe David’s kind and compassionate heart in this story found in 2 Samuel 9:4-11:

One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Saul’s servant Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.” ⁵ So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. ⁶ His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”

Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.” ⁷ “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!” ⁸ Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) ¹¹ Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.

You can tell a lot about the character of a leader by the company they keep and the people who sit at their table. Powerful men and women holding important offices often surround themselves with other rich and powerful people of high status and importance. They soon feel entitled. Their ego becomes inflated. They forget where they came from and the people who helped get them there. They surround themselves with sycophants who sing their praises and “yes men” unwilling to challenge their decisions lest they lose access to the inner circle of power.

(David will eventually have this struggle, and thankfully he will have a truth-speaking prophet named Nathan in his administration.)

In David’s world, it was also commonly believed that the rich, the powerful, and the healthy were uniquely blessed by God/the gods, and, likewise, the poor, the sick and the crippled must lack God’s favor or are under His curse. Most kings, who were seen as the god’s representative earth, were not known for surrounding themselves with crippled, blind, or leprous beggars.

We see then how David’s character shines brightly in this story for his unique compassion and care for the crippled Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth knows his place and his relative worth in society when he bows before King David and says, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

A “dead dog” is how Mephibosheth views himself in this big, cruel dog-eat-dog world he find himself. He’s a nobody. A helpless beggar. We’re reminded of the desperate Gentile woman in Matthew 15 content to eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. But David breaks the societal norm and uses his position and power to lift up one at the bottom of society. Mephibosheth is promised a seat at King David’s table forever! Can you imagine this reversal of fortunes? Talk about a rags to riches story!

Worldly power elevates oneself by climbing over and pushing others down. Kingdom power stoops down in love to serve and lift up needy, undeserving cripples. Worldly leaders serve their own interests and the interests of those who can keep them in power. Kingdom leaders “in humility consider others more important than [themselves]” (Phil 2:3) and serve the least of these and call others to do the same.

When Jesus came to set up his kingdom, he didn’t hold court and dole out cabinet appointments to bright, shiny, powerful and influential people. James and John once clamored for the VP and Secretary of State positions, and Jesus rebuked them saying,

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else” (Mark 10:42-44).

Jesus’ Kingdom Table and Agape Meal would remind his disciples and all future followers that the King of Kings “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). King Jesus stripped off his outer garment, got down on his knees like a common slave, and washed his disciples’ dirty feet as the new definition of royal greatness: humble service to those lower in society.

Instead of filling his kingdom cabinet with important people, King Jesus set a special table and invited a very ordinary lot to share an extraordinary meal (and soon a Great Commission of great compassion). The meal would be his last lecture and most enduring symbol of His Kingdom of self-giving love. He didn’t give chief positions loyal Yes Men to do his bidding; he gave a shocking “Yes” to men and women who had heard “No” most of their lives from people in high places. In the Apostle Paul’s words:

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important” (1 Cor. 1:26-28).

Like King David making room at his table for the crippled Mephibosheth, so King Jesus set a table for men and women crippled by sin and shame and societal liabilities. Great leaders expand and enlarge; corrupt leaders shrink and exclude. Great leaders are willing to sacrifice personal gain in order to win victories for the common good.

And David didn’t just bless Mephibosheth with a seat at his table; he also gave Saul’s servant Ziba and his 15 sons and 20 servants land to farm “to produce food for your master’s household.” Likewise, King Jesus hasn’t just given us a seat at his Banquet Table of Grace; he also adopted us into his family and has made us heirs of his Eternal Kingdom.

What kind of leadership are we seeing in our world today? Are we seeing David and Jesus-like leaders who use their power and position to lift up the meek, welcome the stranger, embrace the most vulnerable? Who are the Mephibosheths in our society and do they have a prominent place at the table?

The current administration seems to be losing sight of the Mephibosheths in our midst and around the world with the recent suspension of USAID funding which helps Christian organizations bring aid to desperate and vulnerable people. That’s not to mention the DEI funding cuts that could impact government employees with special needs.

Elon Musk claims that DOGE is all about “cutting government waste” and rooting out “massive fraud,” and who is not in favor of that? I am. But there’s a darker, callous cruelty lurking beneath the mask of increasing government efficiency. This past week Musk Tweeted: “90% of America loves DOGE” because only that “parasite class” relying on federal programs will be affected by the cuts.

Describing the Mephibosheths of the world as a “parasite class” not worthy of government aid is right out of the playbook of Hitler, a sinister echo of social Darwinism, and should be repudiated by all — especially those who claim Jesus as LORD.

For His Kingdom belongs the meek little ones society is tempted to neglect. “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble,” Jesus says, “it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt 18:5-6). Jesus stands with the vulnerable, and Christians who continue to support this administration better wake up, speak up or take heed. These are strong words by our LORD.

In many cases, Mephibosheth has a grieving father and mother desperately hoping for a leader who will give their child a place at the table of mercy. In his article “How Dare Elon Musk Label My 8-Year Old Son a Parasite,” a distraught father address Musk directly:

“My son can’t address you right now, Elon, because he’s sedated into oblivion. Why? Because the other option is him shrieking and writhing over the chemo sores in his guts… That “parasite class”? The poor, the elderly, the disabled. And my son, whose life, if he manages to keep it, will be a series of struggles and hurdles to overcome, ‘thanks’ to a rare genetic disease for which there is no cure and the bone marrow transplant that may or may not stop said disease from consuming his brain. … He’s too young, anyway, to understand much of anything about federal programs, “cost savings” and how easily claims of stolen “federal entitlements” can be used to whip people, ordinary people like his teachers and neighbors, into a partisan frenzy.”

Again, I am not against the idea of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but what this administration seems to need right now is a Department of Common Decency (DOCE). Let us pray the president and his administration will learn from the example of David and Jesus that great leaders will always have a place for Mephibosheths at their table. Jesus could not have been any clearer on this:

“When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14).

Again, you can tell a lot about a leader (and every person for that matter) by the people who are given a place at their table. Let all who have ears to hear, listen.