Is Jesus Knocking on the Door of Your Heart?

Recently, I had a new front door installed on my home. Upon inspecting the door, the contractor asked if I wanted a peephole installed, assuring me it would only take a few extra minutes. While he was busy drilling the hole, I made a quick run to Home Depot to purchase the peephole. For only a few dollars, I’d have the security and comfort of being able to see who was knocking at my door before deciding whether to open it.

After all, a knock on the door by itself tells me nothing about who is standing on the other side, preventing me from making an informed decision. Apparently, making an informed decision was important to Jesus as well. In chapter three in the book of Revelation, we read that Jesus is standing at a door, knocking:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

While the Scripture is presented as a letter to the church as a whole, in this context, the church is also understood as being comprised of individual souls who each have turned away from God. The apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 3:11 that no one seeks God. Rather, Scripture teaches us that because of His glorious mercy and grace, God seeks us! This is clear in Jesus’s willingness to stand behind the closed door and knock. Therefore, many understand this illustration as being representative of our individual hearts. Either way we look at it, Jesus does not leave the person behind the door wondering who is knocking. As the story continues, we find that Jesus is not only knocking, He is also speaking from the other side, “If any man hears my voice…” Have you ever wondered what Jesus was saying from outside the closed door? The previous verse gives us a bit of a clue as He admonishes the church, “…turn from your indifference.” (Revelation 3:19). And yet, we are still given a choice: even if we hear His voice, He leaves it up to us whether to open the door and invite Him in.

So what happens after we open the door? Does He come barreling in and start pointing out our dirty laundry or rearranging the furniture? Some may not open the door for fear Jesus intends to condemn us for all that is wrong with our lives; however, Scripture makes it clear this is not the case. The verse goes on to explain that Jesus knocks on the door of our heart so that, “…he [will dine] with me.” The NLT says it this way, “we will share a meal together as friends.”

Jesus has come for the relationship. He does not force His way in, or arrive in order to condemn us; rather, Jesus knocks on the door of our heart in order to present a gift – the gift of Himself so that through Him, we may become children of God.

“He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:10-12 (NLT)

Copyright © 2014 Shadia Hrichi. Used by permission. Published first on www.shadiahrichi.com, November 25, 2014.