In Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea, He condemns them for being lukewarm. But then He goes on to say that He is knocking on their door and if they open it, He will come in and share a meal with them as FRIENDS. Hence, Jesus is saying that He wants to share a deep abiding friendship with them. He wants the same for you and me as well. Imagine that… the King of the Universe, the One who sits on the highest throne, wants a friendship with us. That blows my mind. So, let’s talk about this for a minute.
I have tons of friends. And if put them into categories, it might be this: acquaintances, companions, and inner circle. Those friends who are acquaintances are the ones I know from a distance. I rarely talk to them, I don’t know what they like or dislike, and I don’t know their heart. I may call them friends because we have something in common, like our faith. The friends who are in the companion category are those who may be of help to me… I rely on them to give me good advice, I respect them, and I trust in their loyalty. We may also have a lot of the same friends. These friends are a little closer than the acquaintances.
But… my inner circle friends are the ones I have brought in close because I want to walk side-by-side with them on this journey. We share the same heart, the same desires, the same goals. We talk all the time, pray for each other, engage with each other, and celebrate victories together. We cry together, love each other unconditionally, and hold each other up. There is no judgment or jealousy. These are my closest friends.
Jesus had His inner circle as well. We don’t know why Peter, James, and John were singled out from the rest, but they were invited to witness things the others were not. It was only these three men who watched Jesus raise a young girl from the dead, witness Jesus’ transfiguration, and hear Jesus’ final words to His Father before His arrest. It was a privilege to be one of Jesus’ disciples, but it was a true honor to be in His inner circle. I’m guessing these three had tender hearts toward Jesus. They always wanted to know more.
Here’s the thing… we are also invited into His inner circle. He’s knocking on the door of our hearts and inviting us to open them. And when we do, we will share an intimate and personal friendship with Him like the three disciples did. He says… Come closer. Let Me in. He doesn’t want our friendship to be in acquaintance only or just as a companion. He wants us to be intertwined, connected on the deepest level. Walking hand-in-hand together… throughout the day. But it’s our choice. Jesus is already in 100%. But He will not stop pursuing us until our hearts are open wide and we long for Him to be our dearest and cherished friend. He’s knocking! Have you opened the door?