Photo Courtesy of Pacific Northwest Conference
Knock, knock.
Who’s there? Jesus.
Jesus who? Jesus the Human One, Jesus the Son of Man. Open the door. Let me in.
One of the perks of being a pastor is that you never know when something special will happen during one of your Sunday services. Recently, I had just finished my sermon on Lazarus being raised from the dead by his good friend, Jesus, and we were doing our customary Joys and Concerns when suddenly I heard a loud knocking sound from my left, behind the choir. I looked over at my bass player, thinking it was her way of getting my attention, when she said it was a woodpecker, which was just outside the emergency exit door near where she was seated.
I went with it and tried to continue, but the knocking persisted to the point of being disruptive, as it was very audible. I quipped that I hoped it was a woodpecker and not Jesus. After a while, the knocking stopped, and we continued, but I was left wondering about a possible future sermon illustration. Besides, we had a special anniversary cake waiting to be cut and served during our fellowship time.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says: Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. But what if Jesus is the one who is knocking, the one who wants to be let into your life?
You know he’s been asking about you. You know that he has been searching for you in those places you should not be. And now that he’s found you, he wants to come in. He wants to be a part of your life, and you’re hiding behind a locked door because letting him in means you will have to change, and as much as you’d like to change, you just aren’t there yet.
Maybe you need someone to answer the door for you and walk through it with you. You don’t have to walk this path by yourself. Others have walked through the door before you and know the way. Don’t let it be a missed opportunity. The open door presents so many unlimited possibilities that come with a changed life in Christ.
See, I knew there was a sermon in there. And I’ve already given some thought to what I’m going to say when I get called up to heaven. I’m visualizing St. Peter standing there with a clipboard and saying: “I have a note on your file that says when Jesus visited your church on March 22, 2026, and knocked loudly, several times on the door, you didn’t open it. What do you have to say for yourself?” I’ll tell St. Peter that I thought Diane would open the door as she was closest. Yeah, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
The Rev. Scott Rosekrans serves as pastor to the people of Community United Methodist Church in Port Hadlock, Washington.