Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 KJV
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This is a familiar verse for those who grew up in the church. It was usually interpreted as a repentance call for sinners. That idea is borne out by this famous picture: the door has no handle on the outside.
But let’s look at the context. It is addressed to the Church at Laodicea, the last of a series of messages from Christ. Therefore, it is not sinners who are being called to repent and correct their course, it is believers.
Read the whole letter here: Revelation 3:14-22 NIV.
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:17 NIV
The Spirit pulls no punches. The people of Laodicea had great resources and lived very comfortably but were self-righteous and prized their independence. This self-sufficiency had infected the church there, leaving them lukewarm. Unusable. And they didn’t even know it.
In those days, it was unthinkable not to offer hospitality. It was even more unthinkable to deny hospitality to someone you called “Lord.”
Yet the Lord asks and continues to ask. Because – don’t miss this – permission is sacred. Without permission there cannot be fellowship. There cannot be intimacy. There cannot be love. There is only force. God won’t force us to accept Him, invite Him, love, Him, follow Him.
We live in a world where power takes whatever it wants. We see it everywhere; we often experience it. So, notice this: the All-Powerful Creator of the entire Universe Who could take what He wants gives His creatures the power of permission. We can choose to invite Him or deny Him entry. We can choose relationship.
So, what will the Laodiceans do? Will they invite Jesus in or maintain their status quo?
Because Jesus is not just asking for simple hospitality. He is asking permission for His transforming power to work in our lives. He is offering – and continues offering – a second helping of radical grace.
This door in this picture has no handle either. It is all up to us, to me and to you.
What will we do when we He knocks?