Knock, knock, Jesus taps loudly on the door. He is standing there hoping the ones He loves will answer. He stands and stands, knocking with great eagerness to enter and dine with the disciples He calls friends. Yet, no answer comes.
He knows they are inside. He sees through the window how busy they are. Scurrying here and there, speaking His name, “Praise Jesus!” He hears His name spoken with great emphasis; however, His name is unfortunately praised with another – man’s. He listens carefully at the door and hears all the great accomplishments his friends are doing and planning to do; He hears them discuss the great strides they plan to make. But if they would just let Him in, He knows that He could show them so much more.
As Jesus looks, He watches intently the faces of those whom He loves; He hears many things that seem good, but the faces of each one looks tired, angry, and empty. He knocks with great passion…still no answer…so He waits because He loves.
As Jesus waits, He ponders with determination that the only way for His disciples to allow Him into their home, their life, their work is through discipline. He says with great earnest as He continues to knock, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:19-20).
Jesus brings toil, tragedy, change and strife to this little home of believers. The upset is tumultuous and very uncomfortable. Some fall to their knees in defeat for they have known in the past the hand of discipline that comes from the Lord. Others stand to the side and deliberate how man can fix this. And others just leave the home to find another to live. Then there is that lonely one who hears Jesus knocking and opens the door and lets Him in. With this one, Jesus comes in and dines; this one lone person ate with the Savior.
A change began to happen in the home. Some joined the meal with Jesus and the one; afresh each saw Jesus for the first time in a long time. Others stood by skeptical and feeling threatened and they said, “Who is this person who interrupts our plans?” As their skepticism grew, their hearts became hardened to the truth they over heard by Jesus around the table. However, the ones dining with him listened with open hearts and ears and eyes. Suddenly, Jesus noticed their eyes were no longer darkened by fatigue, dander and futility. They were full of wonder, hope and faith. Laughter filled the table, joy encompassed the heart, and power seem to propel the gathering. Quickly, the one who opened the door for Jesus stood with head bowed low and said with humility of heart, “We have sinned and we repent; forgive us, Lord; from this day forward with great earnest we declare that we will, ‘rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. We will meditate on your precepts and pay attention to your ways. We will delight in your decrees; we will not ignore your word’” (Psalm 119:14-15).
After dinner, they settled in the library for dessert and tea. Jesus spoke with a loving tone to each, “My sons and daughters, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His child” (Hebrews 12:5b-6). At that moment, each person felt the power of the Spirit of God move in and among them. They knew at that time Jesus was not just an outsider looking in on his friends working and striving, He was now the leader moving in and around them to do the immeasurably more than anyone could imagine.
However, in His great love, Jesus could not get off His mind the others. Resentful, they reclined in the dining room eating their own meal and feeling frustrated and filled with fret. Their planning interrupted and man’s accomplishments shortened, their hearts became cold; the chatter around the table was loud, filled with gossip and angry words flying across the table. The fury was thick and the noise so brass that they did not hear nor notice Jesus standing outside the dining hall, looking in, knocking with great eagerness to enter and dine with the disciples He calls friends. Yet, no answer came.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” – Jesus
Marcie Cramsey 