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. Revelation 3:20

The Door

            Have you ever been an "insider," even for a moment, because you "knew someone"?  Have you gotten front row seats, a backstage pass, met someone famous, or, by knowing someone, had insider access to a place or person you wouldn't have had on your own?  Recently, my husband and sons had an insider tour of a cutting-edge super computer facility because we're friends with the man who's in charge of the place.  It's such a secure site that my guys watched in awe as our friend had to have a retinal scan to unlock the door.  It was just like in the movies!  Maybe retinal scans and super computers are part of your everyday world, but they're not part of ours.  My guys were in techy heaven, in awe, not only of way the door was opened, but also of everything they saw inside as our friend led them around on an "insider" tour.

            Back in ancient times, when Pharaoh finally relented and let the people of Israel go, there were about 600,000 men and thousands of unnumbered women and children who left Egypt.  But it wasn't only Israelites who left that day.

A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. Exodus 12: 38, NLT

            This rabble, mentioned only casually along with the flocks and livestock, also gained their freedom that day. If the Israelites hadn't been allowed to leave, the rabble wouldn't have been able to leave either.  The Israelites' Exodus made way for them. Insider access.

            When Jesus walked this earth, a non-Israelite woman cried out after him to heal her daughter.  The disciples urged him to send her away. 

            He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."  Matthew 15:24, NIV

At that time, the Jews had not yet fully rejected Jesus as their Messiah so His ministry was only to them.  In those pre-crucifixion days, believing Jesus was the Christ would have meant becoming a Jew.

            The woman came and knelt before him.  "Lord, help me!" she said.

            He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

            "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters'             table."

            Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith!  Your request is granted."  And      her daughter was healed from that very hour.  Matthew 15: 25 - 28, NIV

            Insider access!  If the woman had only been able to talk to the disciples, she would have been rejected, sent away without receiving her request.  But she talked to the Man, Jesus, himself, and her request was granted.  At that time, she received only crumbs. . . . but such crumbs!

            As Gentiles, we are like that rabble, set free because the Israelites were.  We are like that woman begging for crumbs, set free in Christ because Jesus was first sent to "the lost sheep of Israel."  Thrown in with the flocks and livestock?  No matter.  Jesus was born in a stable.  On our knees beneath the table?  No matter.  Jesus humbled himself and knelt to wash the disciples' feet. 

            Salvation came to non-Jews through the Jews, one Jew in particular, Jesus, who said:

I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  John 10:9, NKJV

The Door!  If we know Jesus as the only and full sacrifice for our sin, we're no longer just rabble under the table scrounging for crumbs, but true insiders, sons and daughters seated at the banquet table.  Sights more awesome than anything on earth lie behind The Door.  "Come on in," the Master invites, "let me show you around."

Daye Phillippo

June 2014