A Healing Community
Milton J Keys / General
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2 Samuel 9:1–11 (NLT)
One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
“Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 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.”
“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!”
Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”
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. 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.)
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.
I wanna talk about
A Healing Community
If you know me you I have an interesting relationship with healing
Barry specifically reference Amy Kenny’s book when he gave me this assignment
anybody remember chapter 1?
What Barry didn’t know is this happened to me
• at a ministry event
• in line
• asked me to pray for me
• forced me to say yes
• prays for my healing
Just assumed I needed his prayers
didn’t ask anything about me
didn’t ask what I wanted prayer for
He thought he knew better what I needed
He caused more pain (or in this case annoyance ) than healing
but you can’t blame
He was trying to remove my pain.
He didn't mean him any harm. He was trying to do what he thought Jesus would do.
Pain is complicated.
Just look at the text.
2 Samuel 9:1–5 NLT
One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
“Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home.
At first glance, this looks like a simple story.
David wants to be a blessing to someone in Jonathan's house.
That seems like a simple task, but it's not.
First of all he’s, in Lodebar
Lodebar means nothing or a place without pasture
there was nothing there
he was in a place of desolation
Lodebar is the place we don’t talk about
Lodebar is the side of town that we don't drive through at night.
it’s where addictions convictions and family secrets reside
It's where of the family members we don't claim live.
It's where we keep the parts of us that we don't bring to church on Sunday.
Nobody wants to go to Lodebar
And to make things worse, he has a disability in his feet.
He is stuck in Lodebar
It's hard to deal with people that seem like they can't change.
That's why we cut them off.
That's why we don't talk to them anymore.
Because we've given up because it seems like they're stuck IN LODEBAR
BUT PAIN IS COMPLICATED
There’s a reason why he had a disability that made it hard to leave
2 Samuel 4:4 NLT
(Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.)
Mephibosheth was dropped before he could do anything about it
It wasn’t his fault
but too often we look for blame and we blame folks that are hurting
and because we think it’s there fault we don’t want to go to Lodebar
Maybe we don’t go to Lodebar because it reminds us of our pain
Look at the text
Mephibosheth was a reminder of David’s Pain
• Best friends son
• Saul’s grandson
\Sometimes we have to be the healer even while we ourself’s are in pain’
Amy reminded us that Jesus’ mission was our pain
then she quoted
1 Peter 2:21 NLT
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
We gotta be healers even when it hurts
But it’s still complicated
• Mephibosheth is the son of the crowm prince
• he could argue he’s the rightful King
So why should we try to be healers if it’s so complicated
and Dave Rod made it clear last week that we really don’t even understand healing l
Look at verse 1
2 Samuel 9:1 NLT
One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
• David was showing Mephibosheth kindness because he had a relationship with his father (E)
• Johnathan saved David’s life
• David was in covenant with Mephibosheth father
• The people you’re called to healed your have a covenant with their father
So how do we do this
Instead of giving a handout David gives access to restoration
And I know what some of us are thinking, year he didn’t just give government assistance
But let’s be real about government assistance
average disability payment 1300
average 1 bedroom apartment is is 934
average car note is 327
it’s not enough to survive its a handout
But David provides healing in the way that Mephibosheth need it
2 Samuel 9:9–10 NLT
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. 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.)
I’m gonna teach this is reverse order, because I think this might’ve happened in reverse order
David invites Mephiboseth to community
he says you will eat at my table
you will be apart of the court ‘
The first thing you need to do to be a healing community is to be in community
What Dave gave all those stories it was I WAS WITH
Who in here listens to the Between Sundays podcast
Marron was talking about her sabbatical,
she said she went to a Korean church
the pastor said, you can't leave, you're going to miss the best part.
I was driving and I just about lost it.
Notice that service was over. He had already preached,
the invitation for discipleship had already gone up,
but he said the best part of the service was the meal.
He wanted her to sit at the table with them and be in community with him.
I can’t tell you how to heal people but something happens when you come together in community
you have to learn what people need cause pain is complicated
In community you can discern through the spirit what healing really means
And look what happens when he brought Mephiboseth to the table
‘He doesn’t just give him land
he gives him a way for the land to do what it’s supposed to do\
it really heals him
The Bible says in Luke chapter 24 that Cleopas and his friends were on their way to Emmaus.
And somehow, Jesus finds his way into the group.
But they can't recognize him. They've been traumatized. They just saw the state-sponsored terror of the crucifixion.
Sometimes folks can't recognize the healing you may bring.
`Sometimes they're going to think you're attacking them or you're trying to hurt them.
But the Bible says when he broke bread, they recognized him.
`You can find healing in community together.
Matthew 18:20
(NLT)
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Jesus said when you get together I’ll show up!
Infact, I’m waiting on you