Rev 3:20 – I Stand At The Door and Knock

Rev 3:20 – I Stand At The Door and Knock
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

COMMENT
A popular picture in many Christian homes is the one of Jesus knocking at the door.

It eloquently describes the words of St. John: ‘I stand at the door and knock…’

Looking at it in my early days, someone drew my attention to the fact that there was no handle on the door! Now, isn’t that strange?

Most doors I know have either handles or latches on the outside too.

You must really feel left out when you find yourself on the ‘outside’ of a door that seems so impregnable…and you’re at the mercy of the one inside…You get one of two messages: either you will be let in or you won't be 'welcome.'

The door in the picture resembles the entrance to the human heart …or at least I think that’s what the artist had in mind. Now, how often is the door of your heart open to the Lord? It’s strange how often or how seldom you open your heart to people, sentiments, impressions... or even to the Lord. With so much going on in your life you have very little time to scan who enters and who leaves your ‘secret precincts’… It’s a very private place and besides not letting anyone in, you are very guarded about how much of its contents you reveal to those who even peep in through its windows.

During this holiday season (or at any other time) your heart could be deprived of the presence of this Wonderful Companion…and you have to admit that empty feeling…It’s then that you realize that the Lord was lingering around the door humbly and patiently…even helplessly waiting like a beggar content to remain outside until you think of opening to him. You are so caught up in your own schemes and anxieties, your aspirations and frustrations that you are nervous about letting anyone into your heart…most of all, the Lord. Would you risk him upsetting your status quo?

Yet he does not threaten…and he is never harsh…as some of our friends might be…they want to be ‘brutally frank’ with us because they say ‘they care.’ The Lord is not like that; his knock is light, his voice is gentle and his presence is always friendly.

He wants to be there for you …to bring peace back to your life…to soothe your anxieties and your stresses…and even to share your fun... Then, when you're full of him and you gradually become comfortable in his presence, you can go to some other door and knock…and be as gentle and kind as the Lord has been with you. It’s a double-sided blessing.

If you’re having fun with family and friends, will you give a thought to someone who might not be able to go out or who is ‘shut in’ with no one to take them out? Would you ‘stand at their door and knock’? The verses in Scripture need not only describe the good Lord's action...it could describe yours too.

Someone is yearning to open the door to you if you only knock… then you could simply walk in and say: Hello

SOURCE: Don Bosco’s Madonna Magazine - Mumbai