Selah: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/May/2018]

Do you remember the scene from ‘The Good Life’ where the sophisticated Margot declares that she is going to have to tidy the house “because the cleaner is coming”? It is said that we never have a second chance to create a first impression, but how many times do we wish that we had managed some of those impressions differently?

Back in the 1850s Holman Hunt, the English painter, offered his interpretation of Revelation 3 v20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me“. One of the notable features of the door at which Jesus is knocking is that it has no external handle – it can be opened only from the inside. What sort of impression would Jesus get if He could gain access to what lies behind our door?

Lois Eades wrote a poem that some of us might be able to identify with. Here are some extracts:
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two –
If He came unexpectedly; I wonder what you’d do.
Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honoured Guest,
And all the food you’d serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have him there –
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door,
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’d been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard?
And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

The door at which Jesus is knocking is the door of your heart. Are you keeping Him waiting whilst you tidy up?
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author