Knock. Knock. Knock.
Who could that be at the door? you think. I have so much to do—good things, necessary things. I’m too busy to answer.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A voice. His voice.
What does he want, now? You shrink back further into the house, hoping he won’t know you’re home. This place is a mess, I can’t let him come in. You look around; your eyes linger on the locked door. I certainly can’t let him see in that room.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
How long has it been since he was here last? In my home? At my table? You can’t seem to remember. It’s been a long time.
“My child,” the voice says, firmly, but gently. “Open the door. I want to come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”
You walk gingerly toward the door. Your genuine love for him compels you to do so, even though you’re ashamed.
You unlock the deadbolt and slide back the chain. You turn the handle and open the door, just a crack. He’s standing at your door, a look of love and compassion on his face where you expect to find disappointment and judgment.
“It has been too long, my child. Let me come into your dining room.” He has something in his hands.
“Look, I’ve brought the supper.”
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.
(Rev 3:20)
About Scott Aniol
Scott Aniol is the founder and Executive Director of Religious Affections Ministries. He is director of doctoral worship studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in ministry, worship, hymnology, aesthetics, culture, and philosophy. He is the author of Worship in Song: A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship, Sound Worship: A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World, and By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture, and speaks around the country in churches and conferences. He is an elder in his church in Fort Worth, TX where he resides with his wife and four children. Views posted here are his own and not necessarily those of his employer.
