When Jesus Stands At Our Door And Knocks

Last week I posted a blog on a 90-year-old prisoner, John Wright, for whom some law students at Washington and Lee and our local chapter of Aging Persons in Prison are seeking parole release and a temporary home. I wasn't surprised that my post got only a couple dozen page visits and that no one responded with an offer of taking this man in for a month or so.

I know all too well why this feels difficult. It would certainly be hard for aging folks like the two of us during a pandemic. And it would require a major commitment of time and effort for anyone, even if a congregational team of people took him on as their ministry of mercy, and even if he could be moved from home to home until some place could be rented or some other arrangement could be made. 

So I understand and share everyone's sense of hesitancy and concern about taking this kind of step. This represents a level of hospitality that may not be for everyone.

Yet there's a side of me that believes that somewhere in a community of so many caring people there might be some homes and hearts that would be able and willing to do this. And that it might be a reasonable goal to have some households provide a place to live for some homeless person, or some released prisoner, for a month or so once a year as a first step toward helping someone in need.

In the only description Jesus gives us of our final judgment, Jesus makes things very simple and personal. In the end, he is saying, what matters is not just what kind of sinner's prayer we've prayed, what kind of salvation experience we've had, or even whether we've invited Jesus into our heart, but it's also about whether we've invited him into our house. He makes it all about how we respond when Jesus comes to our door hungry, thirsty, sick, or as a prisoner in need of our help. 

And this doesn't mean just outsourcing this to other agencies to do this kind of charitable work on our behalf. Rather, Jesus is saying to each of us, Invite me into your heart and into your home, and you can be sure I will freely welcome you into my Father's house.

These are his words, not mine. As someone who will face my own judgment very soon, this gives me pause. 

Wait. Did I just hear a knock on my door?

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Even if granted parole, Mr. Wright would still likely not be released before early next year. Here's more http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2020/10/guest-post-request-for-congregational.html