"The Best Seat in the House"

Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 

One of my favorite TV shows is “The Big Bang Theory.”  On that show there is character named Sheldon, who is overly particular about everything.  He has to sit in only one spot when their group gathers in his living room.  His makes a good argument as to why he has to sit there.  His seat is far enough from the door that he can run away quickly if someone breaks in, it is the perfect distance away from the heater, air conditioner and window that it runs at the perfect temperature all year round, he can see the entire group from where he is sitting and he is pretty well at the center of conversation.  In his mind it is the perfect seat.  It is the best seat in the house.  We may think this is a little silly but most likely we all do this to some extent.  We have a particular seat at home that we like more than others.  For one reason or another, we each have a particular pew we like to sit in at church.  Oftentimes, where we choose to sit says something and in the time of Christ it was no different.  The way this church was built was for a particular reason.  There is a reason that the floor slants towards the communion table and why that table is the focal point.  Within our particular denominational tradition the communion table is our focal point.  It is the place where the message of Christ comes full circle.  It is the place where Jesus’ commandments of loving your God with all of your heart, mind, and soul and loving your neighbor cohabitate the same space.  It is where we define our personal relationship with God.  It is the best seat in the house.  

The very reason the disciples were fighting about where they were going to sit is because the seats closest to Jesus showed others who was the most important.  In the Jewish Temple the children and societal outcasts sat furthest away from the altar.  This is why Jesus stressed the importance of those people so people would hopefully better understand his message.  Jesus never tells us that it is only the most important who will see the eternal glory of God, instead, he tells us it “will be the least of these” who will witness this glory.  It is this table where we find the most even playing field we can imagine.  Each of us fall short, yet it is here that we find grace.  Each of us hurt in one way or another, but it is here where we find comfort.  No matter what we have experienced, it is here where we find love.  It is here where one man, not only died, but more importantly, he lived so to show us how to love one another as he loved every single one of us.  

Jesus had a responsibility around this table.  It was his duty to show us that there is no order of importance around this table.  It was his duty to show us the love and grace of an eternal God.  And now that same responsibility has been passed onto us.  This table brings with it love, mercy and grace but along with those things it also brings responsibility and duty.  We have been given so much and we are only asked return a portion of these gifts back to others.  As a congregation we have a duty to make sure that everyone who walks through these doors understands that there is no order of importance at this table, that even “the least of these” can partake in the sacraments that represent our Lord, our Teacher, our Messiah.  These sacraments represent the promises made at the Last Supper, they represent the love of our eternal God, and they represent the fact that Jesus died for all.  This table is literally the focal point of our church and it is should be the metaphorical focal point of our mission as a church and as individuals.  The duties and responsibilities of this table are not just on the shoulders of those who stand around it, even though the should do their best to represent it, but the weight of this table falls squarely on the shoulders of every single one of us.  

Jesus is critical of those who go out of their way to show others how important they are because they look inward.  The mission of this table is to look outward, to look into the world and spread the message of this table to those who have not heard nor understand it.  Every Sunday we look towards the communion table, making it our focus and that is exactly where we should be looking on Sundays but the other six days of the week we should be carrying the weight and responsibility of this table with us in all that we do.  We come here on Sundays to shake off the hurt and busyness of the past week so we can be rejuvenated for the week to come.  It is at this table where we find strength, love and compassion to get us through the upcoming week.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to take the credit for that with my stirring sermons but the truth is that you are here to see the family you haven’t seen for a week, to worship an eternal God that loves you dearly and to take communion.  The part I look forward to the most each Sunday is our time around this table.  The awkward passes of communion trays, the babies reaching for the trays, the toddlers putting their dollars in the offering, the people I see praying, all of these things make me feel like Sheldon.  I feel like I have the best seat in the house.  I get to see each of you at your best every week.  A blessing I am truly thankful to experience.  And I mean it when I say that I get to see you at your best.  It is that very moment when the trash of the past week gets washed away and you are made stronger and renewed to take on future challenges.  That is the version of you that God wants you to show the world.  

This table washes away our shortcomings, it rejuvenates us with love and grace and it is that same love and grace that we should carry out into the world.  On Sunday mornings we look inward and upward but we should also take time to look outward.  Our mission is not here in this church it is out there.  The openness and inclusivity of this table are pillars in which we stand and we should carry that with us.  The love and grace experienced here are the cornerstones of our faith.  The cleansing of mind and body that happen around this table are feelings that you cannot experience anywhere else.  These are some of the greatest feelings in the world and it is only selfish to hold these things so no one else gets to experience them.  I would encourage each of you to go out of you way to share these feelings with the world.  Sure, the duties and responsibilities of this table may seem to be a little heavy at times but it is absolutely nothing compared to love and grace we can share with others.  Earlier, I said that Jesus died for all, which he did, but this table represents more than that death, it represents life.  Life here and now and life eternal.  If we want to live as Jesus does with our eternal Father, then we must do our best to live like he did on this earth and that means sharing the good news with everyone we can.  In a few moments we will partake in the sacraments, make a mental note of the feeling you have passing the trays, serving one another, the love and joy you feel, and the grace you are experiencing so you can share it with others.  Amen.