FOR THE SAKE OF FRIENDSHIP

“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.” —2 Samuel 9:7

A healthy friendship will help us treat other people better.

For the sake of that friend and for the sake of that friendship, we will be able and prepared to help someone with whom we otherwise might not have a connection. Every friendship expands our connections with the communities around us.

It makes our world larger and a place to be less afraid of.

As part of David’s ongoing grief over the death of his friend, Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth becomes the recipient of his kindness.

This was despite the fact that the kingdom of Israel had already adopted the political thinking of the surrounding nations, as Samuel and God had warned.

That meant that the usual way a king would treat members of a rival royal household would be to kill them all to remove the risk of an uprising or conspiring with enemy nations. David’s “Do not be afraid” was a reassurance that Mephibosheth was safe from any such threat. For the sake of his friendship with Jonathan, he rejected the common practice of kings and chose to show kindness—even making Mephibosheth part of his household.

More than that, rather than claiming all of Saul’s lands for himself and effectively ending the “house of Saul,” he restored those lands to Mephibosheth, extending the legacy of the family of his long-time pursuer, would-be murderer, and royal rival.

All this was done for the sake of friendship, honoring the memory of Jonathan. It was an act of grace that began with a “Do not be afraid” between a grieving king and his friend’s crippled son.