There's a stranger at the door

The story is told of a little girl who was taken to an art gallery by her father. The young girl showed very little interest in the masterpieces hanging on the walls until they came to a painting of a small country home. The inside of the house was visible even as the perspective came from the outside as the view was of a family sitting around a dinner table, clearly caught up in a joyous occasion.

Outside the door to the home was a tired looking older man who was knocking on the door trying to get the attention of those inside. The girl was fascinated with the poor beggar because those at the dinner table showed no interest in letting the man in.

"Who is he?" she asked her father.

The hesitation that her father showed in answering only increased her interest. "It's Jesus." he said after a long pause.

"Aren't they going to let him in?"

The father paused, then: "No. They aren't going to let him in."

"Is he bad?" the girl asked immediately.

"No! No, he isn't a bad man."

The girl stood still, her eyes fixed on the risen hand that knocked on the door. "Well, why won't they let him in?"

The father who clearly was uneasy about his daughter's questions tried to gruffly end the inquiry: "How should I know! It's just a silly painting."

The girl's attention was unfocused for the rest of the day as she clearly knew that her father was hiding things from her. During the ride home and that evening at home, there was tangible tension in the family. The daughter could only think of the tired, lonely, sad man at the door who only wanted to be let in.

Over dinner, her father asked her about everything else that happened that day but her attention was still on this Jesus character. After dinner, in her pajamas, she hopped on her father's lap and after a kiss on the cheek, she stated: "We'd let him in, wouldn't we, daddy?"

The girl blessedly didn't wait for an answer from her father but jumped down and ran to bed satisfied that her father was better than those who ignored Jesus.

But the words of his daughter had cut the father to his heart. "We'd let him in, wouldn't we, daddy?"

That's the question. Will you let Him in?

Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."