Jesus says, "Come to me,
all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never
be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they will be filled" (Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:35; Matthew
5:6).
Jesus also says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock;
if those who hear my voice open the door, I will come in to them
and eat with them, and they with me" (Revelation 3:20).
Do you hear the knocking and are you ready to invite Jesus in
to dine with you and you with Him? We need to understand that
in His culture dining together meant that you were friends, even
more, you were considered to be family. Do you hear the knocking
at the door and are you ready to invite Jesus into your home,
into your life, into your heart and mind and very soul?
We are not talking about some ancient story that we should learn
as history from the past. We are talking about a present moment
in which you and I are invited to participate with the living
One of God. The invitation is for those who know they are broken
and who now want to be whole.
After teaching in the synagogue and cleansing the man with the
unclean spirit, Jesus and His companions move to the home of
Peter which was nearby. Peters' mother-in-law was not feeling
well. Jesus came into her room and took her hand and helped her
out of bed. At once she felt better and began to care for her
guests. There is nothing said in Mark at this point that Jesus
was breaking the Sabbath laws with His acts of kindness. That
would come later. There is nothing said about the work of Peter's
mother-in-law because her serving her guests was also illegal
on the Sabbath. What we do see is that the result of being healed
by Jesus is being set free to love and serve others. Peters'
mother-in-law is one of many women Jesus heals which is His way
of showing their importance in a society where women and children
were second class citizens. It is fitting that this week we emphasize
the health of women everywhere in our world.
What about you women and men, you boys and girls? Can you hear
Jesus knocking at your door and is it your desire to let Him
in? Diane Bergant writes in the February 3, 2003 issue of America the
following:
We are indeed at war, not only with some identified
human opponent, but with forces of evil that are much more
comprehensive in scope. And the battle is fought within each
one of us.
It is not only addictive personalities that seem to be possessed.
In a sense, we all have our demons. Traditionally, we have
referred to these mysterious destructive forces as the seven
cardinal sins: pride, anger, envy, gluttony, lust, avarice
and sloth. They may come disguised in different garb today,
but these are the demons with which we all struggle. Every
evil in the world can be traced back to one or more of these
forces .... The suffering people in the Gospel came to
Jesus and were healed and set free. If, like them, we seek
Him out and open ourselves to the power of His compassion,
the forces of evil in our lives and in the world can be driven
out and the reign of God will be established. This burdensome
life really holds promise."
Do you hear Him knocking at the door of your heart? In Jesus' day
the townspeople had to wait until sunset and the end of Sabbath
before they could come to Jesus without fear of breaking the
Law. When the day ended they came to Peter's house by the
dozens seeking Jesus to heal them and their loved ones. We do
not have to worry about such legalities this morning. We only
need to get past whatever it is that is keeping us from answering
the door. It can be pride. It can be fear. It can be that we
think knowing about Jesus is the same thing as really knowing
Him. I assure you they are not the same. There is a world of
difference between knowing about he historical Jesus and having
a personal relationship with a living Savior. Which one do you
want to have?
Jesus is knocking on the door of our lives and inviting us to
a loving and life-giving relationship with Him. C.S. Lewis writes
about the cost of doing this: "To love is to be vulnerable.
Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly
broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must
give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it up carefully around
hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it
up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that
casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will
change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable
and irredeemable."
What do you want to have happen to your heart and to your life?
Do you want it to be loved and affirmed and given life or do
you want it to shrivel into some form that is no longer recognized
as being human?
Jesus longs to bring you life. Jesus longs to bring you healing.
Jesus longs to bring you relief from all the burdens you carry
and from all the worries that imprison you. Do you hear Him knocking?
Will you open the door?
Please close your eyes and picture Jesus lovingly moving toward
you. Silently invite Him into your life, all of it, including
the good and the not so good. Let Jesus touch you. Listen as
He gently speaks your name. Accept His invitation and come dine
with Him. Allow Him to become your friend and receive the Good
News He brings, for you are His beloved one. |
