Open the Door

When I was little, my great-grandmother had a picture of Jesus standing at a front door about out knock. I loved looking at this picture examining the house, what Jesus wore but mostly gazing into Jesus’ eyes because even as a little girl I could feel the mischievousness in them.

Let me explain more. My great-grandmother was Baptist and taught me that Jesus lives in me when I invite him into my heart. I knew enough that when you let someone in, they were welcome. So when I’d see Jesus outside the door, I wondered why he was going to knock and not just let himself in…he was already invited.

It wasn’t until I got older that I realized, this image of Jesus knocking is terrifying for someone who hasn’t already let Jesus in. Like when Jesus called out to Zacchaeus, he must have been terrified 1)because Jesus knew him and 2)because Jesus said he was coming to his house!

I believe we can learn a lot from Zacchaeus’ example. He opened the door.