Intimacy with Jesus
“I must decline your invitation owing to a subsequent engagement.” Oscar Wilde, Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 - 1900)
Invitations can be intrusive. Think about it. Someone invites you to dinner or a movie or to a ballgame and then it’s up to you to either accept or decline. The burden is thrust upon you. You must make the decision whether to accept the invitation given to you or decline it. How will your response make the other person feel? Did they only ask you out of a feeling of commitment because you had invited them to something in the past? Is their invitation sincere or are you being asked because you happen to be around another person or persons who are being asked at that time – perhaps leading to a ‘pity invite’ (“I better invite so-and-so or they’ll feel bad.”)
Invitations can also be edifying. Maybe the pastor of your church invites you to lunch for a chat. Maybe an old friend invites you over for a game of Scrabble on the night you had absolutely no plans whatsoever, which had you thinking, “Well, looks like another lonely weekend at home.”
There are also invitations that come from unexpectedly pleasant sources that literally cause us to drop any and all plans we may have had so we can accept the invite that is too good to decline. The president of your company invites you and your family over for a pool party on the day you planned on going golfing; perhaps someone invites you to go to the World Series with them during the week you were going to weed the garden.
Plans can be dropped if we want to engage in something else we’ve been invited to participate in. How do we determine which invites to accept or decline? Usually we evaluate the invite, the timing, our circumstances, the inviter, and maybe some other things.
However, there is one invitation that transcends all other possible invitations and should never cause us to critically evaluate it. The response to this invite should always be a passionate “Yes!”
Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me. ( NET.)
The issuer of this invite is Jesus Christ; the King of glory, the One Who purchased our eternal salvation with His stain free blood.
This invitation is not a one time invite like a friend’s invitation to a ball game or a chess tournament. Jesus invites us to a continuing communion with Him. This invite never expires. And we are the only ones who could decline the offer.
Without getting too technical with this verse, I simply want to point out a few things that hopefully will encourage us to embrace and accept this wonderful invitation from Jesus.
Notice first of all that Jesus is “standing,” waiting for us to open the door. Our lack of response to His arrival at our residence doesn’t deter Him from continuing His attempt to let Him in. He is pursuing us vigorously, unrelentingly, and lovingly. He wants to spend time with us desperately in intimate communion, and He will always try to pull us away from the worthless things of this world to spend precious time with Him. He loves us more than how we may picture a deity sitting on a throne somewhere saying mechanically, “I love you.” Rather, He loves us with a love that pursues us to spend time with us. This becomes a little clearer as we examine the “knocking.”
When Jesus says He is “knocking,” He isn’t lightly tapping on the screen door, hoping to cause our dog to bark alerting us to a visitor. The word “knocking” used here is the Greek word krouō, and it means, “to knock with the knuckles with a loud rap, with a heavy blow.” Jesus is determined to let us know He is at our home and wants to come in to be with us. It’s as if the King of glory is saying, “I’m here! I’m here! Please open your door! I want to spend some time with you.”
Let’s be realistic for a moment. The majority of people on planet earth have lives that include some form of work, family time, and leisure. Yet Jesus is constantly knocking to bring us to a decision of letting Him in. He doesn’t want to be left out of any part of our lives. Are our jobs more important than making time to spend some solitude with Him? Can’t we spend time with Him while working or washing the clothes or weeding the garden? Of course we can. Jesus engaged in both continual communion and situational solitude with His Father, all during a life that included spending countless hours ministering to people and teaching His disciples. He is our model for life. If He did it, so can we.
Jesus wouldn’t knock to gain entrance to our homes if He knew His presence would disturb our lives. His presence enhances our lives, blesses our lives, and gives meaning to our activities. He loves us and wants to ‘hang out’ with us 24/7. The only question is, do we want to spend that kind of time with Him? Do we desire to accept His invitation to “share a meal with us”?
If we determine to spend intimate, quality time with Jesus, but don’t know how, we should ask Him – “Lord, show me how to spend time with you continually and in solitude, even in the midst of my busy and hectic life.” I can offer a few suggestions.
1. Make each and every moment an opportunity to be with Jesus. Wherever you are, invite Him to join you in fellowship while you live your life.
2. Make a time to simply ‘hang out’ with Jesus. Find a quiet room, a comfortable chair, a secluded bench in the park – wherever you can be uninterrupted in quiet time with Him.
During these moments and times, try not to intercede or pray for anything specific or talk too much. Just ask Him to come and be with you - accepting His invite to “dine” with Him.
If we have not heard His knocking, perhaps the things of this world have drowned Him out. Listen. Listen closely. Can you hear Him? He wants to be with you. He’s knocking and calling out your name. He wants to share intimate fellowship with you and accompany you on life’s trails and trials.
Knock. Knock. He’s there. Will you open the door?
Do You Want a Relationship with God?
If you want this kind of relationship with God, pray this prayer right now:
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you took the pain of the cross to give me new life. I ask you to come into my life and to give me your peace and joy. I confess that I am a sinner -- that I have gone my own way and have done wrong. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow you and to serve you all my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, you are now a child of God. The things of your old life have passed away and He has made all things new.
