Narnia: Leave The Sewing Machine Series

Hebrews 12:1 – Narnia: Leave the Sewing Machine

Well, we are continuing 2 series tonite. We are continuing our Walking in the Spirit series that we started back in September, but we are also continuing our series on the Chronicles of Narnia, which we started 2 weeks ago. Before you think that I think that Narnia has more to say to us than the Bible, let’s read Hebrews 12:1.

Tonite I’d like to look at an instance in Narnia, one which carries a tremendous lesson with it. Now, we find ourselves in the Beavers’ home. They have just discovered that Edmund, willingly captivated by the evil White Witch Jadis’ spell, has fled and run off to tell Jadis where his siblings are. The Beavers realize that they are now in serious trouble, and they must also flee, before the Witch and her evil wolf henchmen arrive at the Beavers’ house as well.

Now, while most of them are bundling up into their clothes, Mrs. Beaver is packing up some things for their flight. She grabs some ham, tea, sugar, matches and some bread. They ask what she’s doing, and she says, “You didn’t think we’d set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did you?”

The others complain about the time, how the Witch could be there any second. Mrs. Beaver says that she wouldn’t be there for at least 15 minutes. And even if they do leave before she gets there, she would soon overtake them. They are on foot, and she is in a sleigh. Which means they can’t outrace her; they would have to take another way, a hidden way. And on that way, they would need food.

All this makes perfect sense so far. They would need provisions along the way. At some point, however, Mrs. Beaver loses her common sense. She says, “Well, I’m all ready now. I suppose the sewing machine’s too heavy to bring?”

Her beaver husband answers back sternly, “Yes, it is. A great deal too heavy. And you don’t think you’ll be able to use it while we’re on the run, I suppose?”

Mrs. Beaver answers back with: “I can’t abide the thought of that Witch fiddling with it, and breaking it or stealing it, as likely as not.” The sewing machine ends up staying.

Well, I must say, I understand Mrs. Beaver’s feelings. But from our point of view, the solution is obvious: don’t take things along that slow down your journey. No wonder our scripture tells us, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” We have to get rid of things that slow us down and tie us up.

It’s like a runner trying the marathon with a backpack full of bricks. No, at least that runner knows that you have to get rid of everything that hinders you from running your best. Folks, this is what walking in the Spirit is. It’s about losing excess weight that prevents a person from doing his or her best.

You see, just as Mrs. Beaver packed some things that would help them on their exodus like bread, sugar, meat and matches, we need certain things for our journey. I mean, our verse today paints the Christian life as a 100-meter-dash, just a sprint. In reality, it’s more like a marathon, a long-distance run. But the truth is the same. You don’t want to carry more than you need. You don’t want to carry things that will slow you down and tie you up.

So what do you need? What things will help you in your walk in the Spirit? Our scripture passage gives us 5 things we need to carry with us on our journey. Well, 4 things, plus a fifth to keep it all together.

The 1st is humility. We looked at this verse in the morning service: “we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” You have to know that the road you walk, the race you run, is not just for you. Every person since the dawn of time has run the race, some very effectively. Hebrews 11 gives us a list of some of them. These are the ones who have lived such an example for us, that the writer of Hebrews commends them to a hall of faith.

Some of them lived better than others, no doubt. Abraham had a lying problem, and Noah had a drinking problem – well, at least once. That probably doesn’t constitute a problem. Isaac took after his old man and lied, and so did Jacob. Moses first had a low self-esteem, followed by a swelled head. Rahab was a prostitute, for goodness’ sake. But all these were commended for their faith, even if their deeds were a little shaky by times.