“knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door”
“When once the Master of the house has risen to lock the door and you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Sir, open for us,’ He will say in reply, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ ” —Luke 13:25
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says that a person will stand knocking on the door to His Kingdom after it is locked. That person will ask the Lord to open the door. The Lord will then say in reply, “I do not know where you come from” (Lk 13:25). Of course, the Lord is omniscient; He knows everything. How do we make sense of this parable?
During your life, Jesus is standing outside your door, quietly but persistently knocking and saying, “Here I stand, knocking at the door” (Rv 3:20). Will you leave Jesus simply standing there knocking, and not let Him into the deepest desires of your being? (see Lk 13:25ff) Let Him into those narrow places in your heart where you won’t let anyone else go. That way, Jesus can “know” you intimately.
If during our lifetime we have blocked the Lord from entering the narrow way into our heart, then we are closed to the narrow doorway of which Jesus speaks (see Mt 7:13-14). We may think the Lord is narrow-minded. But God replies: “The narrowness is in you!...Open wide your hearts” (2 Cor 6:12, 13). If we don’t take the trouble to know Jesus, this explains why He can say “I do not know you” (Mt 25:12). If we persist in keeping our door locked to Jesus during our lifetime, then we should not be surprised when the door is locked to us in the afterlife.
Prayer: Jesus, I wish to know You (Phil 3:10). Grace me to open my narrow places to You, so we can know each other.
Promise: “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see My glory.” —Is 66:18
Praise: Praise Jesus, Whose death, Resurrection, and Ascension opened the gates of heaven forevermore! Alleluia!
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from August 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 8, 2025"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.