_about_ is _outside the door_. His
own claim is left severely outside.

Some make it read like this: He comes to His own, and they who are His
own open the door a _crack_, maybe a fairly respectably wide crack. We
all like the word _Saviour_. Yes, we cling tenaciously to that.
Selfishly, would you say? We want to be saved from a certain place we
think of as _down_, that we've been taught about, and don't want to go
to--_if it's there;_ the way men talk about it to-day.

And we want to be saved into another certain place we think of as _up_,
and where we surely want to go _after_ we get through down on the
earth, and _must_ go away somewhere else; with that "after" and "must"
carefully underscored. And we want to be saved from all the
inconveniences possible along the way, and to secure all the advantages
and help available: yes, yes, open the door a crack.

But be careful about the width of the opened crack. Let it be just the
proper conventionalized width. Let there be no extremeism about the
wideness of that opening. Things must be proper. For what would the
other crack-open-door-owners think?

And then, too, yet more serious, this Jesus has a way, a most
inconsiderate way of coming in as far as you let Him, and of taking
things into His own hands. Certain people use that word
"inconsiderate"--to themselves, in secret. Jesus changes some things
when He is allowed all the way in. He might change your personal habits,
your home arrangements, some of your social customs and your business
plans.

Of course He changes only what needs changing, as He sees it.
But--then--you--well, some things can be carried _too far_--to suit
_you_. This Jesus has the _all_ habit. He contracted it when He was down
on the earth. Our needs grew the habit. He _gave_ all. And He has a way
of coming in all the way, and of reaching in His pierced hand and
_taking_ all.

He might even put His hand in on that most sacred thing, that holiest of
all, that you guard most jealously--that box. It has heavy hinges, and
double padlocks, and the keys are held hard under the thumb of your
will. Of course there may really not be much in it; and again there may
be very much. But much or little, it is securely kept under that thick
broad thumb of yours.

Oh! you _give_; of _course_; yes, yes, we're all good proper Christian
folk here. We give a tenth, and even much more. We support an aggressive
missionary propaganda. That's the thing, you know, in ou