Candles. Cinnamon apple scented. Chandeliers. Wiped down. Lights dimmed. No dust to hide. Oak wood floors shining. Furniture buffed. Rugs cleaned. Curtains ironed. Kitchen squeaky clean. Oven stuffed with multiple courses of gourmet, spice-laden, delicacies. Apron perfect. Dining room table set exquisitely. Silver polished. Antique china plates hand washed. Napkins rolled into wood carved holders. Fine wine waiting. Brand new suit. Handkerchief in pocket. Shoes shined. One-of-a-kind pale pink ankle length dress. Short black heels. Hair in order. Children dressed to the nines. Dog groomed. Fish fed. Talking bird squawking: “Here He comes! Here He comes!” Enter Jesus.
“Welcome, welcome,” the wife greets Jesus at the door, holding her husband’s hand and squeezing it with assurance. Everything is in perfect order, she reminds her spouse in the press of her hand. He holds her hand tight in agreement. They have worked tirelessly, endlessly, deliberately, exhaustingly to have their house and family in order for their dinner with Jesus.
Jesus smiles knowingly, following the family in to the living room where His seat awaits before the fireplace. The wood is balanced just right, the fire is just as it should be. Flaming, warm, welcoming.
Jesus knows. He has seen it all before. He sits on the plush crimson recliner chair and leans forward on His seat, reaching out His hands to the children, petting the dog, looking up at the adults as He does to let them know with His comforting smile. He knows.
He has known for over 2000 years. His Father in heaven gave Him His Word, and in His Father’s Word is the Truth. Jesus knows exactly what verse of His Father’s Word says it all:
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV)
Jesus is His Father’s Son. He knows the heart of a man. He knows the heart of a family. He knows the difference between external beauty and the condition of a heart.
Jesus looks at the husband. He knows how the man longs to take his next business trip to spend the weekend with his latest girlfriend. He knows how the wife refuses to forgive her parents for a difficult childhood. He knows where the boy hides his dirty magazines. He knows the girl uses her flashlight under the covers to study the Bible every night. He knows the dog longs for even a single pet. He knows the fish are a consolation prize for the children for when the parents took the cat to a shelter to be euthanized because they could not be bothered with behavioral issues. Jesus knows it all, but still.
Still the family dotes on Him. Still the family bows down before Him as He sits on His chair. Still dinner will taste beyond delicious. Still the family will tell Him tonight as it does often how much He is loved by each one of them. Still they will expect praises for how well their house is in order. They have gone to seemingly endless lengths to prepare for their dinner with Jesus.
The wife rises from her knees to turn on a classical music CD. She desires to drown out the silence. But Jesus speaks over the quiet.
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Luk 6:46
Nobody replies. How can they? They already know the answer. They have gone to church each week. They have toted their Bibles with them. They have taken notes at church. They have had conversations about the sermons. They have said their prayers at night. They have been good Christians, haven’t they?
“My Father is looking for people after His own heart,” Jesus says in a soft, quiet voice. “He is not concerned with your outward appearance. He is concerned with the condition of your heart. You are His temple.”
If Jesus came to dinner tonight, how would He find the condition of your heart and your life? Have you done the things He has asked you to do in the Word, or are you more concerned with the outward appearance of your house?
“Before we sit down for dinner,” Jesus suggested, “I have an invitation for you. Please be my guest and follow me into the throne room of our Father in heaven, and bow before our Lord at the mercy seat. Confess your sins, be forgiven and cleansed by the blood I shed on the cross for you, and learn how to keep your heart holy for our Lord. Study the Word to learn how, and apply what you learn to your life. I will give you the authority in my name to do so.”
The family never did have dinner with Jesus; they chose instead to enter into the throne room of the Lord God almighty to confess their sins, to receive forgiveness and cleansing, and to begin a journey of faith and love to keep their house in order for the King Himself to live within that they might enter into a love relationship with Him for the rest of their lives and to serve Him for all their days.
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