David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1)
In today’s fast-paced world, there is often a missing ingredient in our relationships — kindness.
There is a beautiful story in the Old Testament that illustrates the power of kindness. It’s the story of King David and Mephibosheth. David’s kindness was extraordinary for several reasons. First, Mephibosheth was the grandson of Israel’s former ruler, King Saul, a man who had acted viciously toward David and even tried to kill him. Mephibosheth had another good reason to be afraid. It was usual in the ancient Middle East for founders of new dynasties to kill the children of former rulers to keep them from trying to regain the throne in the name of their families. Finally, due to a childhood accident, Mephibosheth was crippled and could not walk. He could not do anything to give back to David for the king’s kindness.
Becoming a kind person is a matter of choice. Kindness toward others reflects God’s love, the kind of love that expects nothing in return.
