Hospitable Hearts

Hospitable Hearts

Read: Revelation 3:14-22

“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 him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

“A Christian has a union with Jesus Christ more intimate than the members of a human body have with their head.”

—St. John Eudes

IN WORD This verse is often used to pose Jesus’ invitation of salvation to the unbeliever. But Jesus is speaking to those who already know Him, and there are profound implications for us. Jesus is clear that He is interested in more than your initial salvation experience. He does not want only to be followed and obeyed. He wants to be savored and enjoyed. In the dining room of our life, He wants the lengthy, personal fellowship of the common meal, not the brief acknowledgment before it. When Jesus enters in, it is for intimate union.

Jesus invites Himself into our churches and our hearts, and most of us have probably given a formal RSVP, allowing Him in. But perhaps we have not thought much deeper than that. When a visitor is coming to our home, we hope to make it as warm and inviting as possible, if, in fact, we want him to stay. We’ll go to great lengths to give another person the pleasure of our hospitality. Will we do so for Jesus? When He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for us to hear His voice and open the door, will He find that the atmosphere within has been prepared for His coming? Will He feel welcome there?

IN DEED Jesus is not someone we need to clean up entirely for before He comes in—He’ll do a lot of that when He comes. But we do need to be prepared—and willing—for a thorough cleaning. And He’s not just at our door for a visit; He’s moving in. He puts all His touches on the place and fixes it up just as He likes. Do we regularly make it clear to Him that He is welcome to do that? If not, the formal RSVP doesn’t mean very much.

But Jesus is mostly here for the fellowship. The cleanup is important, but sitting around the table and enjoying the company is vital. That’s the whole point of His invitation. If you want that, tell Him how welcome He is.