Looking into the Window
By Pastor James May
There it stood, in the side of the wall; it was just a window. But there was something different about this window that was different from most. Those on the inside could look through it to see the outside world, and those on the outside could look in to see what was happening on the inside. This was a window into the ways of the world for those who dwelt on the inside, and it was a window into the glories of Heaven for those who looked in from the world.
It was just a small opening, a crack if you will, in the walls of time and eternity, where there was bright light that shone forth in a dark world. It wasn’t a hard window to find, if you were looking. The problem was that most people walking in the darkness would never see the window because they went about their daily lives with their eyes either blinded by the darkness or with their eyes closed so that they could not see the light from the window.
As I watched, there came one to that window, for it was a window that was always open, and had a welcome sign attached over it for anyone, at anytime, who desired to look inside to come and see. This one who came seemed to be drawn to the light by an unseen hand. As he drew ever nearer to the brightness of the light, he became more and more aware of the fact that he was dressed in rags and must have been a sight to behold.
Oh, he had always prided himself with the manner in which he had lived his life. He had always tried to be clean, tried to be presentable and tried to do the best he knew how. But now, as the light became ever brighter, he realized just how dirty and unkept his clothing and appearance must be.
Yet he was drawn closer and closer and it seemed that he could not stop moving toward that light for there was a power that engulfed him, and gently, but persuasively continued to prod him onward toward that window.
The brighter the light from that window shone upon him, the more he could see all of the failures in his life that appeared before him as he drew ever nearer. It was as though the light from that window was a projector that continually played everything in his life that he would be ashamed for the world to know.
There was the improper speech, the bad attitude, the times he kicked the dogs or slammed the doors in anger. There were the times that he had ignored the light of that window in the past, and there were even a few times when he saw, played again in his memory, the times before that he had been drawn to the light of the window, but each time he would get close enough to begin to see what was inside, he would suddenly close his eyes again, turn around and walk back into the darkness.
From the beyond the window the voices would ring out and reach his ears, “Come On son, Come On and look inside. Come On, it will be worth it all! Give up the darkness and step into the Light. It is such a grand place to be.” But the voices that called to him seemed so distant, like those of a long-lost friend, or perhaps an ancestor from generations already passed from the scene. At times the voices would be strong, and their words were piercing and persuasive. At other times, when he walked farther from the window, the voices were distant and weak and they seemed to make little difference at all.
The years would pass, time marched on and eternity drew ever nearer. Then one day, that man finally decided to get as close as he could to the window. Curiosity, and the power that drew him, seemed so strong on this day. Perhaps this was the day that he would finally see inside. Perhaps this was the day when he would get the satisfaction of looking into the house and getting a clear view of what lay inside.
Somewhere, down deep within, there had always been a longing to be in the house and to be a part of the crowd that was in the light, but there was always an invisible wall that was in the way. He could not figure a way to get past that barrier that stood between the world of darkness where he lived, and the world inside that window. It was invisible to the eye but that wall must have been made of transparent steel for try as he might, he could never break through to the other side.
On this night, the darkest night that he could remember, the light of the window seemed to shine brighter than ever and it’s power of draw him was stronger than ever. The power that prodded him to the window was stronger than ever before and somehow he knew that this time was his time. This was the time that he heard the greatest voice of all, like the sound of many waters and the blast of the trumpet come from inside the window to “Come Unto Me, ye that are laboring and heavy laden in the darkness. Come and dine with me. Come unto me and I will give you rest.”
What a great sound that invitation was. This man was tired of his load that he carried and could never put down. For untold years he had carried this weight, through the darkness, through the night and could never lay that burden down.
Closer, closer and closer he came to the window until he was closer than ever before. It was only a short step to the window but it seemed so very far away because of the load that he carried and the shame of the scenes of his life that played before him like a testimony against him, condemning him and seemingly trying to force him back from the window all the time. It was a struggle, a battle, against an unseen but very powerful foe, just to get to the window, but this time he would not be denied and he continued to press on.
Then he saw it; the source of that light. It was a man that hung upon a cross. It was the center of everything, for the darkness of the world around him was ever pointing to that very point and everything on the other side of it seemed to spread out in ever growing and penetrating light.
Drawing ever nearer in curiosity to behold this sight, he could not help but notice the great suffering that his man upon the cross had endured, and yet, when he looked into the eyes of that man, all he could see was pure love. Then the man upon the cross spoke and his voice seemed to cut right into the heart of the man before the window. The words that he spoke would forever change his life as heard that man on the cross say, “I loved you before you first loved me. I have given my life, and my blood, for you. Will you accept what I have done for you? I am Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Will you believe in me? I give my life for you, but I am to rise again and life forever more. Will you believe me and accept me as your sacrifice for all the wrongs in your life?”
What could the man before the window do? What decision would he make? Many more had come to this same place before the window and had still turned around to walk back into the darkness. Some had come any number of times, only to turn around time and again. Some had come and heard these words, and seen the man upon the cross, yet turned away and never again would go to that window. What would this man do? It was time to make a choice!
The man on the cross spoke once more, “I am the Way through the window and into the light. There is no other window, no other door and no other who can let you in. You must come by allowing my blood to cover you. That may seem repulsive but it is the only way. What will you do?”
As he stood there contemplating how such things could be, many thoughts ran through his mind.
How can this man upon the cross be the only way?
Surely there are other ways.
Perhaps he could force himself to live by a very strict law. But what good would that do? He had already broken too many of those same laws and there was no denying it.
Perhaps he could seek the counsel of many good men, and yet he knew that those “good men” were only good in their own sight and that all of them were just as shameful and dirty as he.
The only logical conclusion he could come to was that, if he wanted to be inside, where the light was, he would have to go by way of that cross and allow that blood to cover him and so he did.
Then suddenly, as the blood fell, his load fell away, and before he could think of how it could be, he was inside the window, bathed in the glorious light, looking back at the dark world from which he had come. It was as though he had been given the ability now to see in the dark and the world that he once thought was dark was now filled with light. He could now see exactly what was in that darkness.
Demon spirits and powers of darkness filled the land. The wall that he had hit time and again was clearly visible now and it was held there by the power of sin in the heart of each man that came against it. That’s when he realized that it was the power of the cross that had broken down the wall so that he could enter in.
That man turned from the darkness now, and began to walk in the light. The more he walked in the light the greater his understanding was enlightened and the more powerful the light became to him.
Then he heard that voice of the trumpet once again speak to him. “Come now, Come and call out to everyone that nears the window in the darkness. Call to them and tell them to enter in by way of the cross. Call to them and see how many will heed the call.”
That man stepped forward and began to call – and he is calling to you right now! That man before the window was me! I’m so glad that I have entered in!
I have stepped into the light! I have looked into the window, come by way of the Cross of Jesus, been washed in the blood of the Lamb and today I walk in the Light because Jesus is that Light!
Have you stepped up to the window to turn around again and again? Or have you entered into the Light along with me? What a wonderful life it is to serve the Lord. Life inside the window is far greater than life in the dark world.
James 1:22-24, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was."
1 Corinthians 13:10-13, "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Each one of us, in time, must come to the window. We will come face to face with the man on the Cross, Jesus Christ the Lord. We must make our decision whether to step inside the window of opportunity when the Holy Spirit draws us, or turn again and hope that we will receive another call. What a chance we take when we turn away! How often have men turned away and never received the call again and found no place for repentance and will never enter into the Light of the gospel?
James 1:25, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
That window is Christ! That light is Christ! That cross is the cross of Christ! That blood is the Blood of Christ! He is our only way of escape from eternal darkness! Look into the window of the “perfect Law of Liberty” that is found in Jesus and enter in today!
