Walking Through the Open Door

July 28, 2019

When we encounter an open door, it is an invitation to enter.  Jesus tells His disciples today in the Gospel that to the one who asks, they shall receive.  To the one who seeks Jesus says they will find.  He goes on to say to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  I remember growing up as a child and watching the game show Let’s Make a Deal.  It all came down to one contestant picking one door out of three.  The door they chose would be lifted up and the contestant received what was behind the door.  One was a fantastic win, one was substantially less, but still a nice jackpot of winnings and one was a dud.  The person had a one in three chance to walk away amazed.  To add to the drama, what was first revealed to the contestant were the contents behind the doors they did not choose.  Today Jesus is not saying let’s make a deal.  He is inviting us to walk through an open door and explore the goodness of God.  There is nothing to be afraid of behind the door.  There is nothing to worry about when we enter.

Many times closed doors grasp our attention much more than the open ones.  Open seems so easy.  Closed doors present a challenge.  How often do we talk about how a particular door is shut to us?  It might be in the context of work in regards to a promotion or a dialogue with a coworker.  We know the door is shut.  How often have we shut doors in the face of others?  I used to hear my sister slam her door in the house and we thought the hinges would fall off.  For me one of the doors that I try to keep shut is the one with all those robo calls which promise me free trips and opportunities.  Once the recording starts I end the call.

We all close doors and sometimes we seal them shut.  Sometimes this happens in the communication with families.  Jesus comes in contrast to all of this.  He wants to have an open door policy with us.  He never wants to shut down communication.  He tells His disciples and today He tells us that there will be a response to the knock at the door; it will be opened.  There will be a response to the seeking; what you are looking for will be found.  There will be a response to asking; you will be answered.

The challenge remains for us to walk through the door the Lord opens for us.  To do so we open ourselves up to the possibility and the potential of God’s saving grace.  This does not mean we get what we want in the way we want it, but what it does mean is that we will be heard and there will be a response.  It takes courage to allow ourselves to walk through an open door giving full control over to God as to what is behind the door.  It will be love and hope and forgiveness, yet it might not be in the way we imagined it.  The first action in all of this is entering in the doorway.  Jesus does not give us three options to choose; He only gives us one, salvific love.

We will walk through many doors today, yet the one that is most important is the one that leads us to Him.

Reverend  John J. Ouper