Mephibosheth, Lazarus, and Me

In my free time I have been doing one of my favorite activities, reading on the porch. But free time is something I kind of pilfer. You know, I’m a housewife, so me and the dog sneak out there ninja-style, hoping for 15 minutes before the next crisis hits. My companion on my last couple of missions is Robert J. Karris’s, Luke: Artist and Theologian. I basically bought it from the impact of one quote, one quote which I read in at least two books: “…in Luke’s Gospel Jesus got himself crucified by the way he ate” (47). That line just delivers a kablam-o that I need to investigate further. And so, despite the awesomely cool title, I am mostly digging on Chapter Four, “The Theme of Food.” Those of you who read regularly know that I am on a bit of an eschatological feasting kick that seems to be waxing more than waning. Karris talks about how Jesus seems to be going to a meal, talking about feasting, at a meal, or coming from a meal in this entire Gospel. In fact, every chapter of Luke mentions this theme of food in some way. Karris emphasizes how the sharing of food is the sharing of life, particularly the eschatological life proclaimed in the gospel. As I was reading select excerpts Karris provided from each chapter of Luke with his explanation of how it relates to the theme, one stood out to me. For Luke 16:19-31, he comments, “Lazarus, a miserable poor wretch, is a child of Abraham, for he has a choice spot at the messianic banquet (16:22)” (51). The wording immediately reminded me of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s lame son. He too would have been as miserable as Lazarus if David had not remembered the covenant he made with his dear friend Jonathan. David purposely seeks out any relatives of Jonathan to show kindness for his sake. Mephibosheth, being king Saul’s grandson, had good reason to fear that David would seek him out and kill him. And he was fearful when he was brought to David. But king David tells him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always” (2 Sam. 9:7b).  Mephibosheth can’t believe it. He doesn’t understand why David would show such kindness to a “dead dog” such as himself (v.8). But David shares his life with crippled Mephibosheth, giving him an honored seat at his banquet table. Lazarus, whose soars were licked by the dogs as he longed for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, was remembered by God because he was a son of Abraham. In both accounts we see miserable, lame wretches remembered on the count of a covenant. They were bottom of the barrel and sought out to sit at the banqueting tale of the King. That is me! Without Christ I am without hope, no better than a dead dog. But because I am Abraham’s child, the King of kings has shared his life with me, and I will sit at the great eternal banquet, amen! God will remember his covenant and his children will be given Christ and all his blessings. We shall always eat at his table. I look forward to that great day when I hear the multitude of angels crying out: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” (Rev. 19:7-8a). Hallelujah for what the angel said to John, and he obediently wrote down for us: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9a).