Friday: The Real Shut-Ins Are Walking Cases
WEEK 4
FRIDAY
THE REAL SHUT-INS ARE WALKING CASES
John 20:19, 26
There is another phase of the order of Jesus to the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they were endued with power. The emphasis was upon the “power.” For it was possible for them not to run away from Jerusalem but to stay as they were, “behind closed doors because they were afraid” (John 20:19). It is possible to stay in a situation but behind closed doors, shut in with fears. They could say to themselves: “We are not running away. We are still in our Jerusalem,” and yet all the time not free, not confronting Jerusalem; they could be there but without power. The point was to get them not merely to stay there but to stay there with power, power to go out and meet Jerusalem positively and redemptively. Now they were meeting it fearfully and negatively. It is possible to stay in a situation and compliment yourself that you are not running away, but all the time the staying is behind closed doors in fear. You are staying, but behind barricades—behind closed doors. You are on the defensive against the situation; you are keeping it off by shutting your doors against life and against trouble. But that only shuts you in with your problem. You have not shut the problem out, you have shut it within; you become the problem, you are full of fears.
We speak of shut-ins, people who cannot get out of their homes, often not out of their beds. We have pity on them and often organize people to visit them. That is good. But the biggest class of shut-ins is not those physically unable to get out; it is the walking cases of shut-inism. They are outwardly out, but not inwardly out. They are free to walk out into their environment, but not free to walk out from behind their closed doors into usefulness and fellowship and outgoingness. They are tied-up souls. They are never relaxed, for they have to keep guard behind closed doors. Their energies are expended keeping guard against supposed or real enemies. They have little energy left to go out and positively achieve. They are so busy saying no to life and accomplishment.
Yet those disciples knew Jesus was risen from the dead; why then were they behind closed doors? Intellectually they knew he was alive, but emotionally they were held by the old fears. Only the Holy Spirit within could release them from those fears.
O Lord, I do not want to live behind anything. I want to live in the open—free—free to accomplish and attain. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: No behind closed doors for fear for me. I belong to the open road, adventuring with God.