In parts of India, hundreds of girls were once given a name meaning "Unwanted"—until a district held a public ceremony and let them choose new ones. That image of a changed status opens Stephen Davey's look at 2 Samuel 9, where David, now secure on his throne, asks whether anyone from Saul's household is still alive so he can show them kindness. Notice what he doesn't ask: is there anyone worthy? The search turns up Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, crippled since childhood, hiding out in a town whose name means "nothing." He calls himself a dead dog with nothing to offer, and David makes him a member of the royal family with a permanent seat at the king's table. It's one of Scripture's clearest pictures of grace—undeserved, unearned, impossible to repay. And every time Mephibosheth limped to that table, his disability reminded him why he was there. Ours does the same, and the tablecloth of grace covers our feet too.
At the Table of Grace
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