A Heart For Those With Special Needs Among Us

II Samuel 9

I have some close relationships with families and people with special needs.

We see David's heart
*Towards Jonathan's Descendants/ but also representative of the House of Saul. In chapter 7 he asked, "What can I do for God?" Now he is asking, "What can I do for others"

David's question showed a great love because Saul made himself an enemy of David. It was customary in those days for the king of a new dynasty to completely massacre anyone connected with the prior dynasty. David goes against the principle of revenge and against the principle of self-preservation and asks what he can do for the family of his enemy.

*Towards One With Special Needs II Samuel 4.4

This is a lesson in grace and compassion.

This is a picture of the Gracious treatment of the LORD toward us.

Those with special needs whether they be children or adults are to be objects of our love, support and affection. One of the ways to measure the strength of a church is by how it treats its weakest physical members.

David is shining example here! Notice his relationship with Mephibosheth.


1. He had compassion on him.
He was heir to the throne because of Saul and Jonathan's death.
v.4 Lo-debar= the barren land, no bread

He saw his grandfather go practically insane and lose control of himself and his kingdom. He may not have completely understood what was happening at the time, but he knew that something was desperately wrong in the palace.

He received the news that both his father and his grandfather had died. His home was shattered. He had no father to guide him, no grandfather to shower him with love and affection. Who would take care of him? Who would feed him, clothe him, or put him to bed at night?

Mephibosheth also lived with the constant fear for his own life, because David was getting stronger as king. Mephibosheth’s family was getting weaker and dying off. Would he be next? Any day he could receive a knock on the door and be taken away to be executed or tortured or both.

When Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of WWII, he was called by adoring New Yorkers 'the Little Flower' because he was only five foot four and always wore a carnation in his lapel. He was a colorful character who used to ride the New York City fire trucks, raid speakeasies with the police department, take entire orphanages to baseball games, and whenever the New York newspapers were on strike, he would go on the radio and read the Sunday funnies to the kids. One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself.

Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It's a real bad neighborhood, your Honor." the man told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson." LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions--ten dollars or ten days in jail." But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero saying: "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

So the following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren, fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner, while some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation. This is similar to this account in God' Word of David and Mephibosheth.

The biggest challenge to Mephibosheth personally was his special needs. It came about by an accident by someone caring for him. Fanny Crosby's story. We do not always see God's purposes immediately, some we will have to wait to get to heaven to understand.

I am certain Fanny Crosby's parents were devastated. Their six week old little girl was blind. What kind of a life would she have?
She would become the most beloved female hymn write the church has ever known! over 12,000 hymns were written by her including one used by Billy Graham for 60 years entitled, Blessed Assurance.

Losing her sight at 6 weeks of age, then her father a few months later, I am sure her mom, who went to work as a maid, wondered if her daughter would become bitter.
At 8 she wrote:

Oh, what a happy soul I am,
Though I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."


In her own words concerning that action by a fraud doctor which took away her sight: "I have not, for a moment, in more than eighty-five years, felt a spark of resentment against him; for I have always believed that the good Lord, in His infinite mercy, by this means consecrated me to the work that I am still permitted to do. When I remember how I have been blessed, how can I repine?"

2 Samuel 4:4 describes what happened to Mephibosheth. He had fallen and hurt his feet. Probably the bones broke and did not mend properly. He had to live with someone who could help him. Lo Debar was on the east side of the river Jordan.

People with special needs ought to be objects of our compassion. Not that we feel sorry for them but that we treat them with dignity and as a person.

Mephibosheth could not walk so he did not have a normal life. Life is often very difficult for people with physical problems. A dead dog (verse 8) has no value or use. That is what Mephibosheth referred to himself as.

That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake: David did this because he remembered his relationship and covenant with Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:14-15). His actions were not only based on feelings, but also on the promise of a covenant.

To whom did Jesus minister to? Many of the people we would term special needs today: The blind, the lame, those with leprosy, those with debilitating medical conditions . Now you are the body of Christ! (I Corinthians 12.27)

2. He made him feel welcomed.

In his home
Mephibosheth had no claims to the kingdom but David treated him as a son!

He was adopted. "He shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons" (v. 11). Although he was lame on both his feet he sat continually at the king's table. His table of mercy covers many an infirmity (1 John 3. 1, 2).

He was made an Heir. David said," I will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father" (v. 7). From poverty to plenty through the grace of the king (1 Peter 1. 3, 4). By grace

Making a special needs person feel welcome is important to them. So many times their inabilities to function fully leaves them on the outside, on the sidelines of the group. Being included is huge. That is our call!

Mephibosheth was getting the King's undivided attention. It was not a political move on David's part to curry the favor of voters until after the elections are over , rather a heartfelt gesture which would last a lifetime.

At his table "eat bread at my table continually v.7, 10, 11, 13
This was not a photo op type of thing at all. Mephibosheth was seated at the same table as David and his sons.

Eating together in the Far East and Middle East is a much more intimate and meaning action than here in the West. The common bowl, the length of the meal, Mephibosheth could say every night, "That was a dinner fit for a king!"


In his presence
Enter their world! David inquired where Mephibosheth was living and found out it was the barren land. He changed that for him and brought him to a land rich for growing.
I believe we can enter the world of special need people. We need to understand their situation. When I was in Bible College, I would listen on Sunday mornings to the radio. The early service of the Presbyterian Church there was broadcasted. Dr. Stevens would give such excellent illustrations. and insights. He said one time, if you want to understand a child, get down on your knees and walk around. You will see the world ad they see it." So true!!!

We need to humbly get down on our knees, close our eyes, not use our hands, not walk to see how it feels for these dear folks. David had this in his heart.

3. He took care of him.

4. All of this because David believed in keeping His Word.
II Samuel 20.12-16
Jonathan was dead but David remembered his friend and how if it were not for Jonathan he would not have escaped from Saul.
Are there some promises we have forgotten, if the LORD brings the to mind how good to act upon them as David did.

What great kindness!
What a wonderful fruit of the Spirit!
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Mephibosheth had nothing to give but his gratitude, but that was huge! Those who have special needs are often the most appreciative of the simplest kindnesses we show them.

Mark 2:1-5 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Let's be among those who help those to Jesus. According to Jesus we will see Him in them.

Jesus' Words to us: Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’