A welcome at the door

Last week my wife and I stepped out of the front door slamming it behind us, only to realise immediately that neither of us had our house keys! You know that sinking feeling that comes with such realisation – well we had it! I could not help thinking of the more serious matter of Jesus speaking about people being shut out of God’s heavenly home.

In his teaching, Jesus uses the analogy of ‘doors’ in varying ways. He speaks of a particular door which will be before us at the end of the age or, if you prefer, the end of our lives. The picture is of a door into God’s eternal heaven. Some will pass through it with the sound of much rejoicing. Others will find the door firmly shut. No amount of knocking or pleading on their part will open it. Their sinking feeling of realisation as to what has happened is described by Jesus as weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And now for the Good News. God promises to extend a warm welcome at the door to all who will honour his son Jesus whom he has declared to be the Lord of Heaven. We best honour Jesus by heeding his words.

Jesus calls men and women to turn and become a follower of himself, leaving behind whatever would hinder them. When we become his followers, and this is no light thing, Jesus says we have entered through the narrow door. To all intents and purposes, that future encounter with the heavenly door, referred to above, has been brought forward so that we can enter through it now – today. Jesus calls us to himself in this way because he knows that it is he himself who is actually the door through which people enter into God’s own home (i.e. Kingdom).

So humble and gracious is Jesus that he still comes to individuals and knocks on the door of their own hearts and lives seeking an entrance so that he might live through his Spirit with them, and they with him. Will we open the door or keep it shut? If shut, what might we reasonably expect Jesus to do when we, in our turn, stand at his own heavenly door?