The other day I was reading in Mark 14 the story where Jesus sends his disciples to get the Passover meal ready, which was to be his last meal with them on earth. He gives them instructions of how to find the house and tells them that the owner of the house 'will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready.' (verse 15).
When I read that I started to wonder about this owner and his family and how come he had a large room, all ready for Jesus to use.
I thought about Passover, and how all the Jews would be celebrating it on the same day. They would all be gathering together with family to eat this special meal together. My guess is that large rooms were at a premium.
I imagined the owner of the house and his wife. He must have been reasonably well off to have a large room upstairs that could just be used for entertaining. I imagined his wife planning who she would invite, the decorations, menu and seating plan. Then I imagined God just whispering to the owner's heart, "I have another use for your room. Don't use it for your own Passover celebrations. Just keep it free. You'll see why later."
I imagined him telling this to his wife and her possible reaction - indignation, frustration, incomprehension, even scorn maybe? I imagined her protesting, "But where will we eat? Just down in the kitchen like an ordinary meal? How will that make it special? I was going to invite your brother and his family - they won't be able to squeeze in to our kitchen! What is God going to use it for? Is it just going to sit empty? You're crazy! What am I going to say to my friends! I'm never going to live this one down."
As with all true offerings to the Lord of significance, I believe there was a cost and a spiritual battle that owner had to fight to obey that word and keep that room free without knowing what for. He would have looked like a fool. But God greatly honours those who are prepared to look like fools for Him.
And when Jesus' disciples turned up at his house? That's when God whispered to his heart, "This is it. Say yes." And he did. What an honour. What a privilege. He got to offer Jesus his best room in which to eat his last meal on earth.
Then I imagined meeting this man in heaven. I imagined how he would be boasting, "Did you know, it was my house Jesus ate his last meal at!?" I imagined if I were him, that would be the thing I was most proud of; most glad I had done in obedience to the Lord.
And God has honoured him by this mention of him in Scripture, read by millions 'wherever the gospel is preached'.
I thought, "I wish I could somehow do something like that for Jesus." And immediately God said, "You can." And he reminded me of this verse:
Revelation 3:20 (The Passion Translation) "Behold, I'm standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me."
I realised, I do actually have an opportunity to offer Jesus a room to eat in. In fact, he wants to eat with me! My heart is that room, and he waits for me to make it available for him.
My prayer for myself and you today is that we will walk through today with our hearts open to His whisper as to how He wants to use the 'room' we have in our hearts today.
Lord Jesus, please come in. Please feast with me in my heart today. Amen.
