The Knock at the Door

[These are the words of the holy one:] “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” – Revelation 3:20 (NRSV) 

Growing up in the evangelical world, I saw this verse illustrated on tracts, painted on Sunday school walls, and shared during altar calls. Jesus was presented as a friendly stranger, standing outside the door of an individual “unbeliever’s” heart, waiting for them to let him in. 

It was a sweet image. There is just one problem: that is not who Jesus is talking to. 

In Revelation, John is writing to the church in Laodicea, a comfortable congregation in a wealthy city, proud of its stability, budget, and impressive reputation. Jesus is not standing outside the door of a non-Christian. He is standing outside the front doors of his own church, knocking on the heavy wood, asking if anyone inside still recognizes his voice enough to let him back in. 

It turns out it is entirely possible to build a successful religious institution with Jesus locked outside. 

We unfortunately see this dynamic often today when Christianity is co-opted to hoard political power, protect white supremacy and heteronormativity, and defend violence. But it can also occur in cozy, progressive Christian spaces where thoughtful programs and curated good deeds can function to keep the actual, living person of Jesus at a comfortable, intellectual distance. 

That was the quiet trap in Laodicea, too. They weren’t hostile to God; they were just so thoroughly self-sufficient they stopped needing Jesus to show up. They became expert project managers of Christianity while leaving Christ on the porch. 

And still, he knocks. 

Jesus has not abandoned his self-satisfied church. He does not knock to condemn us; he is asking for dinner! He wants to sit down, break bread, and look us in the eye. But to share a meal with Jesus, we have to get up, throw wide the doors, and risk letting the living, relational Jesus rearrange things from the inside out. 

Prayer
Jesus, forgive us for building things in your name and leaving you on the porch. Give us courage to open the door, make room at the table, and know you again. Amen.

About the Author
Hannah Sachs is the Minister of Faith Formation at Rock Spring UCC in Arlington, Virginia.