Car Trick

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

My grandkids are close to the top of my list of the most wonderful gifts in my life. When they want my time, I bend my schedule, however I must, to spend a little more time with them. Whenever we’re together with some of them, a little game starts between them and their parents. They will be told it’s time to load up in their own car and they will wink at me and I will wink back and they will sneak into my car, hiding in the backseat thinking their parents won’t miss them and they will be whisked off to spend the night with Chief and Fave (Our grandkids’ name for Cas and me). Most of the time one of the parents are wise to the trick and will open the door to my car and point them to the proper vehicle but on occasion either Cas or me will see what’s happening and give a nod to the parents, offering for the trick to “work” and we’ll drive off with them in the car and hear shrieks of delight; it’s a sleepover!

As I was relating this fun experience with my relationship with Jesus, I was struck with the backwards presentation of this image. Jesus, the king of glory presents himself as the needy, disadvantaged one, standing outside of my dwelling asking for my time. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t I, the child, the broken, the infirmed, the bleating sheep, the lost, be the one pleading for his time? Ah, but in the economy of God’s kingdom he flips the script, so our desires create the measure of his time. If we open the door of our lives, we first welcome him and then he becomes the host.

I will never fully understand this mystery, but I’m constantly amazed by it. We see this exampled repeatedly as Jesus spent time with people. The woman at the well had access to the water, he didn’t. Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his home. On the Emmaus Road experience Jesus waited for an invitation to dine with them before he revealed himself to his companions. It’s your car. It’s your place to offer the invitation. Will you welcome him?

Prayer for today:

Jesus, I desire to spend time with you. I invite you into the daily jumble of my life. Please come home with me and make me a worthy dwelling for your glory. Amen.

Be Blessed this week,

Pastor Wes