Chasing Fleas

 

April 25, 2021              NOTES NOT EDITED
Chasing Fleas
1Samuel 24:1-22

SIS—We often miss God’s best for our lives because we concentrate on issue that are quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Let me read a verse I shared  two Sundays ago: Rom 8:18^(CSB)  
►For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.  Keep this in the back of your mind as we study together today.

When you hear the word, “flea,” what comes to mind?  Probably not, “entertainment.”  For me the word that comes to mind in regard to “flea,” is “irritation.”  There are several species of flea but they all have one thing in common:  they bite!  And, there bite causes itching that leads to much scratching.  A flea cannot eat a dog, but it can sure make the mutt miserable.  Fleas have been around for a very, very long time.  In fact, scientists in China have discovered an ancient ancestor of the flea, dubbing it pseudopulex magnus, or roughly, “the great flea.”  It seems even dinosaurs had to wear flea collars. 

Another word that comes to mind in regard to fleas—and the issue we will deal with in our text this morning—is, “small.”  Fleas are small, and at least according to size, “insignificant.”  Fleas are mentioned twice in the Bible, and both times in reference to the relationship between David and Saul. Saul had a “flea problem.” David belittles Saul by calling him someone who “chases fleas.”  Fleas in our text today stands for the foolishness of focusing on insignificant or worldly matters and missing the most important, eternal matters.  Fleas represent worldly distractions in our text or “foolish pursuits.”

I love the way the beloved pastor, R.G. Lee, describes “chasing fleas”: People who chase fleas allow themselves to become “slaves to small anxieties, small ideas, [or] small ideas . . . who exchange heavenly principle for loose expediencies [and] high ideals for cheap compromises.

 The number of “fleas” that people pursue foolishly are many and varied, but our text shows us clearly “fleas” are everywhere.

READ TEXT:  1Samuel 24:1-4, 11-14

We will look at several different passages, but our jumping off point is an examination of Saul’s obsession with David. It gives us an “historical show and tell” of how “majoring on minors diminishes our quality of life.” From chapter 18 to Saul’s death in 1Samuel 31, Saul descends into a deep neurosis by obsessing over David, who wanted nothing more than to serve Saul as long as God allowed Saul to remain on the throne.  In fact, 2Samuel begins with David mourning over the death of Saul in battle.  Saul destroyed his life by “chasing fleas.”  I want to example a few of the “fleas” that we often chase in life, and offer a warning about “missing God’s best by majoring on minor things.” Here are a few “fleas” that distract us from God’s mission in life.

1.  Worry is a flea.

Everything about Saul was “kingly.”  Physically he stood head and shoulders above his peers (1Sam. 10:23).  He had the favor of the great prophet, Samuel—at least in the beginning of his reign. He even prophesied, himself (1Sam. 10:6). Saul wore the garments of royalty.  In his hand was the royal scepter and upon his head rested the royal crown.  When he sat, he sat upon the royal throne.  With royal authority, he commanded the armies of the kingdom to do his bidding.  Saul was by every human measure, kingly.  The word says,
 

►

“there is no one like him among the entire population” (1Sam. 10:24).

But, here in our text, we see the mighty king playing the role of a court jester, as someone expending the great resources of the kingdom to “pursue a flea.”  For all his “kingliness” Saul was a worrier.  He had all the power of the position of Supreme Monarch, but lack confidence in regard to the future.  Saul was a worrier.  We meet him in an earlier text: 1 Samuel 16:23 (CSB)

►

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. 

We find Saul, the worrying king, comforted by David the winsome shepherd.  The powerful monarch soothed by the humble musician.  Yet, Saul’s love of David’s music would not keep him from seeking to destroy David.  Saul worried that David would take over his kingdom [ironically this would indeed be the case].  Saul was a worldly king and worldliness always leads to worry. 

Worry drove the powerful king to act like the court jester—a fierce fighter becomes a bumbling fool because of “worry.” He uses all the resources at his disposal to chase someone who was no threat to him at all.  Worry and paranoia are siblings.

The Bible says so much about worry.  Worry about the future is a huge distraction that keeps people from fully enjoying the present.  It is tragically foolish for one to miss fulfillment and joy today because of worrying about what might not even be tomorrow.

Jesus warns us:  Matthew 6:34 (CSB) 

►

³⁴ Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Paul tells us the same thing:  Philippians 4:6–7 (CSB)

►

⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Worrying is a lot like a dog scratching at fleas.  All the scratching in the world will not rid the dog of fleas.  So it is with worry.  All the worrying in the world will not rid you of your perceived difficulties and oft-misplaced fears.  Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but won’t take you anywhere.

Worry is about misplaced focus.  Imagine that I put a four-inch wide plank across this stage and asked you to walk across.  Most of you would have no problem and would suffer no anxiety in completing the task.  Now, let me put that four-inch wide plank up three stories between two buildings.  Now, few of us would be able to cross that plank successfully, and none of us without much anxiety.  Why did thirty feet make such a difference?  It was the same plank, your same feet, your same mind, and your same muscles.  The difference is “focus.”  Your worry comes when you focus on what “could happen.”  When the plank is on the floor, your focus is on the task of walking across.  Raise it three stories and your focus changes to falling off, instead of walking across.

A dog with fleas can think of nothing but scratching.  So with a man chasing the flea of worry.  The mind becomes bogged down with little fears and consumed with anxiety.  There is too little mind left to concentrate on what really matters. 

We all find that living without worry is much easier said than done.  Insecurity about the future is an “itch that begs to be scratched” and worry is how we scratch it.  Worry is a “flea.” 

2.  Pleasure is a flea.

The whole, sad story of Saul’s rise and fall stems from the “pursuit of pleasure.”  Pleasure can be defined as worldly or frivolous enjoyment: the pursuit of recreation, amusement, or diversion. The key word is “worldly.” Pleasure pulls us down hard into the here and now. It makes the more weighty matters of eternity a bit blurry.

Like a flea, the pursuit of pleasure gets under our skin and distracts us from the pursuit of God—which has disastrous, eternal consequences.  I’ve already said, a flea by itself cannot kill a dog, but the dog may get hit by a car if it stops to scratch in the middle of the street!  Pleasures, in and of themselves, are not killers; but the pursuit of pleasure as a distraction from the pursuit of holiness most certainly leads to disappointment and disaster.

No man every enjoyed worldly pleasures more that King Solomon.  He had whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it.  Yet, he comes to this conclusion at the end of his life: Ecclesiastes 2:1–3 (CSB)
 

►

¹ I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. ² I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” ³ I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 

The problem with pursuing pleasure is that it always takes more and more of it to give one the same level of pleasure.  Chasing the flea of pleasure becomes like scratching an itch—it feels so good at first, but soon becomes a great distraction, and a maddening irritation. 

Our text does not say specifically that Saul, as was Solomon after him, overly concerned with pleasure.  But, we do know that Saul had all the amenities that come with being King.  He also did not have many, besides the prophets, who were going to say anything about his indulgences.  Though we do not have in our text a direct connection to Saul chasing the flea of pleasure, his whole life as king was the satisfaction of the worldly desires and pleasures of the people of Israel, and everybody getting what they wanted. 

The coronation of Saul as king came as an appeasement of the pleasure of the people of Israel—it was what they “wanted.”  1Sam. 10:17-19^CSB describes Israel pursuing the flea of pleasure:

 

►

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah ¹⁸ and said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ ¹⁹ But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us.’”

The people of God wanted what the world had—a king—and they wanted it now.  They got what they wanted in Saul, and it was a disaster, not only for the people of Israel, but also ultimately for Saul.

For as long as there have been philosophers—from Solomon to Socrates to our day—they have consistently warned of making pleasure the chief aim of life.

I think we would be wise to follow Solomon’s advice and see the pursuit of pleasure for pleasure’s sake as “chasing after a flea.”  Chasing after pleasure will be like scratching an itch—the more you scratch it, the more it itches. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, pleasure in and of itself is not evil, or even bad.  The Bible says very clearly,  Psalm 34:8-10^CSB

►

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! ⁹ You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing. ¹⁰ Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

►

And also in Psalm 37:4:  Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

So, it is not “pleasure in itself” that becomes a problem, but the pursuit of pleasure above all else, or the chasing after pleasure that distracts you from delighting in the things of God.  Pleasure can become a “flea” leading to an itch that just isn’t satisfied by even endless scratching. 

3.  Fame and Fortune is a Flea.

You may have noticed I say a lot about the folly of pursuing fame and fortune.  It is a major topic throughout the Bible, and especially in the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was the Lord, Himself, who warned (Mat. 19:24-25^CSB):
 

►

²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished. 

Now, as with the pursuit of the flea of pleasure, the pursuit of the flea of fame and fortune do not come directly out of our text in regard to Saul.  Certainly, Saul commanded a vast mountain of wealth as the monarch of the kingdom.  As I said above, he did not want for anything. Fame and fortune were never an issue with Saul.  He was both rich and famous.  He was the king! 

Yet, we know that all his wealth did not keep him from “chasing after a flea.”  David describes the great king, not as a fierce monarch, but as a foolish court jester.  Saul’s vision in life was completely out of focus—so much so that David said he looked like a fool.

Do we not see people who have great riches acting just as much a fool as Saul?  Do we not see everyday men and women so feverishly chasing after fame and fortune as to look as foolish as a dog chasing its tail?  The pursuit of fame and fortune is like “chasing a flea.”  Every possession you have in life—down to the very penny—you will leave behind in this world. Favor in eternity is not measured by how high we can stack our cash!

Over sixty years ago a preacher described chasing the flea of fame and fortune in bitingly poetic language:  Many today are sickly victims of advertisement, diseased with the notion that only the rich and famous folks are interesting. These folks are running around looking for fool’s gold (R.G. Lee).

The Italian poet, Dante, described fame and fortune as only a great poet could:  “Worldly fame is but a wind that blows now this way and now that, and changes name as it changes direction.”

I’m afraid that too many of us spend too much time trying to acquire either more fame or more fortune, or both.  Neither has eternal consequence.  Fame, like fortune, is always left on this side of the grave.

There are many fleas on a dog and there are many “flea-like pursuits” by mankind.  But, I don’t think there is any “flea” that so distracts man from true devotion to God than the flea of

4.  Religion.

Y

ou hear me say—and with some bit of frequency—that “religion” is a bad thing.  I believe religion damns more souls to hell than any other vice such as murder, adultery, or stealing.  In fact, the religions of man break the very first commandment:  “Thou shall have no other gods besides Me.”  Religion makes God in man’s image—a comfortable, manageable God. A god, though, that is without any power at all to save.  The greatest error of religion is that it errs in regard to sin.

This caused God to evaluate Israel’s religion very harshly,  Isa 1:14

►

I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to me; I am tired of putting up with them. (CSB) 

You can tell when you slipped into the error of “Chasing the flea of religion” by how you look at “sin.”  Religion can become a substitute for repentance.  Let me say that again, religion can, and often does, become a substitute for repentance. 

William Booth described the “flea of religion” in this way:  “The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.”

There is a concept of sin in religion wholly at odds with what the Bible teaches.  That is when sin is viewed as a mere “stumbling in man’s upward progress.” Sin, if mentioned at all in most religions, is nothing more than a mere, misstep along life’s way.  It is from the abysmal blackness of religion we here recounted the oft-repeated saying, “to err is human.” 

No, sin is no mere error to be corrected or managed. Religion seeks to “manage” sin as a businessman seeks to manage market fluctuations, or a doctor seeks to manage the symptoms of an illness.  Sin is not a glitch, or an error, but an abomination! Society no longer tolerates a preacher well that speaks so bluntly about sin, but that’s how the Bible speaks.  There’s no kind way to tell someone they have cancer, but it would be much more cruel to let them go on thinking all is well until it is too late.

We see very few religious groups today calling sin what it is:  “an unholy affront and offense to an absolutely Holy God.”  David, after being confronted with his sin in regard to Bathsheba declared from the agony of his soul: Psalm 51:4^(CSB)
 

►

Against you—you alone—I HAVE SINNED and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge.

Sin is death, not a disorder.  Sin is an abomination, not an alternative lifestyle.  Sin sours the soul like old milk sours in the stomach.  Sin carries a stench like a rotting carcass in the hot sun.  Sin is so black it blots out any ray of God’s light from entering the soul of a man or woman who stands in rebellion against God. Sin is a gangrenous wound with no cure but amputation.  Sin is death—eternal separation from God. David lament was not that he made a mistake, but he said “I have sinned against the Holy, Almighty God!”

Religion is a nasty flea because it masks a deep, eternal death percolating in a human soul.  Sin cannot be talked away by ritual or covered up by much preaching.  Sin is like a killing frost that falls upon tender shoots and drains them of life.  

We must get away from religion as far as we can.  The diabolical falsehood of religion makes sin less than it is:  an unholy affront to a Holy God. 

I fear that for many of you, it was “religion” that brought you here this morning.  I fear far too many see Sunday worship as checking off the religious box on one’s “Things To Do List.”  Oh, please, discard such a notion as the foolish “chasing after a flea.” 

There are many “fleas” that can consume our lives if we chase them:  worry, pleasure, fame and fortune, and religion.  There is yet another that I must warn us about today.

5.  The Flea of Politics.

We ignore the matter of politics at our own peril if we shun from engaging in the marketplace of ideas.  In order to be the preserving salt of the earth, Christians must participate in politics.  But—and this is very important—we cannot let the political debates of our day distract us from our obligation to see “God’s will be done, His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10).

The Bible calls us to be “good citizens” and that means we must do our part in regard to the politics of our day.  Psa. 12:1 & 8 says,

►

¹ Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. (CSB)  . . . . Then verse 8,  ⁸The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.

Without Christians participating in the political process, it is an absolute guarantee that “the wicked will prowl all around.”

God has ordained human government.  Paul tells us, Rom13:1 (CSB)
 

►

¹ Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.  We engage politics to set boundaries on the government to keep them from usurping God’s authority. 

The key to engaging politics from a Christian perspective is “balance.” We are to bring God’s point of view to bear on the key moral issues of our day, such as abortion, justice, and other ethical issues.  But, we must remain “balanced.”  We can’t let politics consume us and distract us causing us to be like a constantly scratching dog infested with fleas. 

Political involvement must never distract us from the bigger issue of our duty to see souls saved and those saved serving through the church.  Democracy must always take a backseat to disciple-making.

Worry, pleasure, fame and fortune, religion, and politics can all become “fleas” that distract us from the bigger issue of our service and devotion to God. 

Saul became obsessed with killing David and it literally consumed his life and drove him mad. 

These are not all the “fleas” that mankind chases.  It is doubtful that any dog would have but five fleas and no more.  The number of “fleas” mankind chases is myriad.  The pursuit of anything, and everything, that will not be of great value one hundred years from now rides upon one’s back like a fleas upon a dog.  A flea, as we have used the metaphor, today, is anything that distracts from the wholehearted, hotly passionate pursuit of holiness.  The list is nearly endless. 

God wrote with His own finger a warning about fleas:

Thou shall have no other gods—make that fleas—beside me. 

Every stray thought is a flea.  Any attitude or action that pulls us away  from our duty and devotion to Almighty God is a flea, and as such will cause us to miss God’s best for our lives. 

I believe we must look at David’s accusation against Saul and ask ourselves if we have not made, or are making, the grievous error of “chasing fleas,” whether it be the flea of worry, pleasure, fame and fortune, religion or a hundred other such worldly issues.

It’s not enough just to scratch at fleas.  You must do all in your power to eradicate them from your lives.  Stop scratching, and wrap the flea collar of God’s righteousness around your neck.

 

Kid’s Time VIDEO Watch | David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities: The Flea Circus - YouTube

 

The Best Seat in the House

 

April 18, 2021              NOTES NOT EDITED
The Best Seat in the House
Luke 14:7-14, 23 

SIS:  The seat of service one chooses in life represents one’s level of devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the blessings that follow.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the most expensive seat in in the world is literally, “out of this world.”   This $19M toilet was created by the Russians for the Space Station in 2008.  the most expensive seat ever made in the history of bathroom thrones. According to one website, “it features the most extras for that special kind of bathroom activity. This toilet has leg braces to keep astronauts in the proper position while using the toilet. Most notably, this is the only toilet ever created that has an advanced filter capable of extracting water from waste and purifying it for drinking. It’s the ultimate recycling machine.”

That’s probably more information than you need, or even want to know, about “bathroom seating.”  Jesus had something to say about “proper seating.”  Let’s read about this together:  Luke 14:7-14, 23.

In our text, and in the parable of the Great Feast that follows, we have a discussion of “seating at parties” as it refers to our attitudes and responsibilities as followers of Christ in this world.  Seat choices are compared to various aspects of our Christian character and blessings.  We can examine at least six aspects of “seating issues” as it relates to the “Best Seat in the House.”  The Best Seat in the House, that is the best attitude for a believer is described as being, the LOWEST Seat, NOT the LAZY Seat, the LARGE Seat, the LEANING seat, and most importantly the Best Seat in the House of devotion to Jesus is the LIFTING Seat.  Let’s consider each seat in the House of our Devotion to Christ.

1.  The Best Seat in the House is the LAST Seat (7-10)

 

►

(CSB) ⁷ He told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves: ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit in the place of honor, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host. ⁹ The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ “But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

Now in some translations, you notice the words “lowest place,” are translated “last place,” as in the NAS Bible.  Both are absolutely correct. The original word, “eschaton,” has four basic uses.  ^① It can have a sequential, or ordinal meaning as in, “last item in a series.” ^② It can have a spatial meaning as, “to the uttermost point, or a lower place, such as lower room in a house.” ^③ It can also refer to a later period of time as in, “last days.” ^④ It can refer to the rank or grade of an item as in a “humble, or lowly state.”  Except for the idea of number three (③), the full range of the meaning of “eschaton” is present to highlight a spirit of “humility, or lowliness of heart.”

The major point of this passage is to contrast the “pride of the Pharisees” with the humble, servant spirit of a true believer.  The Pharisees desired the prōtoklisia, or “first places,” because of their pride, instead of the eschaton topon, or “last places” which indicates a humble, Christ-like spirit. 

All throughout the Bible, and especially the N.T., and even more especially the Red-letter portions of the Lord’s teaching is the doctrine of the “Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God.” Everything about the Kingdom of God and Its subjects is the opposite of the kingdoms of men.  I will say more about this in a moment.  For now, we must hear the Lord calling us to “become humble servants” by taking the Lowest Seat in the House. 

Pride is the archenemy of faith.  Humility is not an easy garment to wear. It is against human nature to be humiliated, or humbled—especially to do it willingly. 

The Founder of the phenomenally successful burger chain, Wendy’s, wrote a book titled, “Well Done: The Common Guy’s Guide To Everyday Success.”  Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas has an MBA, even though he never graduated from high school. His MBA does not stand for, “Master of Business Administration.  His MBA stands for, Mop Bucket Attitude! Dave Thomas writes, “I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit—a snazzy knee-length work apron.  I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows [the CEO] wielding a mop and a plastic bucket.”

Dave Thomas was a Christian by the way.  He is the example of someone choosing the Lowest Seat in the House by having a humble Mop Bucket Attitude of humility where we are think we are “above the most lowly service.” A humble attitude of service which is the attitude every follower of Christ should have.

2. The Best Seat in the House is NOT the LAZY Seat (13, 23)

 

►

(CSB) ¹² He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. ¹³ On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.

Recall from verse 1 that the occasion of this “banquet” was an invitation to Jesus by a Pharisee, a leading Pharisee.  Now it says in verse one that the Pharisees,

►

“were watching Him [Jesus] closely.”

So, in addressing this to the disciples, and the Pharisees, Jesus is being somewhat sarcastic. The words, “when you do such and such,” do not suggest Jesus believes the Pharisees actually have any intention of ever bowing in humble service to others to provide a “gospel banquet,” if you will.  In fact, it is a roundabout way of condemning the prideful, “serve us,” mentality of the Pharisees.

But, the words “when you give a lunch or host a banquet” do suggest that the life of a disciple is a life of DOING, not just a life of DOCTRINE.  This goes back to the foundational statement of James that says,  (James 2:18, CSB)

 

►

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, [DOCTRINE] and I will show you faith by my works [DOING].

“A” faith (not “the” faith), that does nothing saves nobody! 

Look at verse 23, “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

Listen to the Great Commission, (Mat. 28:19, CSB)

►

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The word, “Go,” stands out in both commands of the Lord.  You can’t spell “gospel” without “g o.” Christianity is an action launched by a belief.  The two are inseparable in the teaching of the Bible.

The ministry plan for many, many churches isn’t working because disciples are “working the plan.”  Jesus planned the work, and we must work the plan. John 9:4 is important in this regard:

 

►

(CSB) We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. The NASB gives a better, clearer, more emphatic translation of this text:  “We must work the works of Him who sent Me.”

The Best Seat in the House of Devotion is NOT a LAZY Seat.  Being a fully-functioning follower of Jesus is the hardest work in the world. 

3.  The Best Seat in the House is a LARGE Seat (v23b).

Let’s go back to the parable of the Large Banquet, following the parable about “Seating” in the Pharisees house. verse 21 says,

►

²¹ “So the servant came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’  And then verse 23, “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. (CSB)

This refers to a great gathering around God’s table in Heaven.  God has a large dining hall with plenty of rooms and wants it to be filled with His children.

There is room for all God’s children at the Great Banquet in Heaven—“red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world.”  I learned that little song in Sunday School when I was very little.  There’s a lot of talk of “Which Lives Matter.”  Black Lives Matter.  White Lives Matter.  Red Lives Matter.  Female Lives Matter.  Male Lives Matter.  All Lives Matter to God and His House has a Large Seat big enough for everyone.  Galatians 3:28–29 (CSB)
 

►

²⁸ There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

Listen to Rev. 7:9 from the Contemporary English Version. Listen especially for a “key word” describing Heaven.

►

After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb (CEV)

 A beloved Scottish preacher of the 19^th Century, Alexander Maclaren, explained why the first century Roman society was bewildered by and even threatened by the explosively growing Christian community.  Maclaren said this:  “Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, male and female, Jew and Greek, learned and ignorant … sat down at one table, and felt themselves all one in Christ Jesus. They were ready to break all other bonds, and to yield to the uniting forces that streamed out from his Cross. There never had been anything like it. No wonder that the world began to babble about sorcery, and conspiracies, and complicity in unnamable vices. It was only that the disciples were obeying the new commandment, and a new thing had come into the world—a community held together by love and not by geographical accidents or linguistic affinities, or the iron fetters of the conqueror .… The new commandment made a new thing, and the world wondered” (Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1974), pp. 227–228.)

 

We live in a seemingly hopelessly divided country where cities are burning and citizens are fighting, all because of the color of our skin.  The only place large enough for ALL PEOPLE TO MATTER, is in the LARGE Seat of God’s Kingdom.  May we continually pray as Our Lord taught, (Mat. 6:10, KJV):
 

►

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” We can’t wait to get to heaven to get started on inviting people to the LARGE seat of God’s Grace.  

4.  The Best Seat in the House is the LEANING Seat (v10).

As is often the case, the NASB gives a more literal translation, and in this case, a more historically descriptive one.  Verse 10 uses a word which appears several times in this passage in regard to “seating practices” around a First Century table:
 

►

¹⁰ “But when you are invited, go and recline . . . (NASB)

The word translated, “recline or sit” means literally “to lean.” There is an obvious difference between “sitting at a table to eat” and “reclining at a table to eat.” In fact, in our modern culture “reclining to eat” sounds odd, even ill-advised medically. We’ve all told our children not to lay back and eat, perhaps many times.  Different cultures of the ancient world had different customs, but the Jews and Romans of Jesus’ day “reclined to eat.”  Here is a description from a scholar in this regard: 

“A Roman dining room was called a triclinium because it contained three couches, set around a central table. The table was a low block with couches around it on three sides. There would be a single couch in the middle, where the host would sit, and one couch to his left, and one to his right, opposite each other. The side opposite the host would be left open for people to bring food to the table. The couches would be covered by a cushion, or a cushion would be provided for the guest to lean on. The guests approached the table from behind the couches, then reclined on their left side, supporting their head on their left elbow, leaving their right hand free to take the food. A normal Roman triclinium would seat nine people, with three on each couch.” The crude drawing on the screen gives you an idea of how the disciples “reclined with Jesus” at the Last Supper.  [Show Slide]

John’s gospel makes mention of the Last Supper scene: (Jn. 13:23,NASB) “There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”

This verse refers to John, the Apostle. What I want us to observe is the close relationship John had with Jesus, even among the Apostles.  He is in a special place, “reclining on the Lord’s right side.”  I want you to note the two ideas:  “leaning on Jesus” and “the one Jesus loved.” Leaning on Jesus is a special place, and exalted place of honor. John received great comfort leaning on Jesus, which is always the case for any of us.  Leaning on Jesus gives us a special kind of peace and freedom for the journey of our lives.  Leaning on Jesus is exactly the Best Seat in the House for any of us.  There’s just no better place in all the world than “the LEANING Seat.” 

A humble Bible teacher wanted her students to know how important it is to remain in the Presence of God. On one occasion, she taught, "A bird is free in the air. Place a bird in the water and he has lost his liberty. A fish is free in the water, but leave him on the sand and he perishes. He is out of his realm. So, we as Christians are free when we are in the perfect will of God and are obedient to God’s commands. This is as natural a place for God’s child as the water is for the fish, or the air for the bird."

If you want to know perfect peace in life, press in close to Jesus on the LEANING Seat. Without Jesus, we are like fish out of water!

The Best Seat in the House is the LOWEST Seat, Not the LAZY Seat, it is a LARGE Seat, and we just learned it is the LEANING Seat.  When all this is taken into consideration we joyfully conclude that the Best Seat in the House of Devotion to Christ is 

5.  the LIFTING Seat  (10b-11)

►

¹⁰ “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.  ¹¹ “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  (NASB) 

Remember earlier I mentioned the fundamental doctrine woven throughout the Bible, especially the Red-letter teaching of Jesus, which I call, “the Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God.” The ultimate example of the “Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God” is the Cross.  Jesus secured life by dying.  What appeared to be the Lord’s ultimate defeat was His quintessential victory. Jesus demonstrated His kingship by devoted service to the Father.  Jesus demonstrated the greatest power in history by a moment of absolute weakness in human flesh.  Everything about the life of the Lord Jesus challenges man’s view of power and success.  Man seeks power by striving—Jesus teaches us that power comes from surrendering.  All throughout the Bible and especially the Red-letter portions of the gospel, Jesus teaches about the “Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God.” 

This parable on choosing the Best Seat in the House, is just one of many examples of the “Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God.”  You should circle or underline those words in verse 10, “Friend, move up higher.”  The way up is down. The key to getting is by giving. The way to gain honor is to demonstrate humility.  This is really the whole essence of the Lord’s discourse on The Best Seat in the House.  Jesus is teaching once again the principle of the “Upside-downness of the Kingdom of God.” 

This is really what the Best Seat in the House of Devotion is all about:  “God lifting us up out of the miry clay of our sin-marred lives.”  I’ve always loved that old hymn:

I was sinking deep in sin, // far from the peaceful shore, //Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, // But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, // From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

 Love lifted me // love lifted me // when nothing else could help // love lifted me // Love lifted me // love lifted me // When nothing else could help // love . . . lifted . . . me.

We may never get to sit on a $19M toilet in space, but my question for us all, today is this:  are we sitting in the right seat?  Have we chosen the Best Seat in the House of Devotion to Christ.  Have we chosen the Lowest Seat?  Have we rejected the Lazy Seat? Have we embrace a Large Seat where everybody of every station and kindred is welcome.  Do we have the peace that can only from pressing close to Jesus in the Leaning Seat?  Are we being lifted up and lifting up others as we sit in the Lord’s Lifting Seat? 

We all should absolutely seek the Best Seat in the House which comes when we allow Jesus to sit on the throne of our hearts?  Are we doing that?