You are welcome?

I was this morning in a meeting where a song was sung of which the chorus begins as:

Lord, You are welcome, welcome; You are welcome, great king.

It is impossible for me to sing these words. It is already not a happy choice of words to address Jesus as King. Nowhere in Paul’s letters will you find something like this. As believers, at this present time, we know Christ Jesus as Head of the body, the ecclesia. That is a much more intimate relationship than there is between a King and his subjects. Before long, in his second coming, He will manifest Himself as King of Israel and (eventually) as King of Kings of the whole world and its people. That expresses a totally different relationship. And then the absurd idea to welcome the Lord, when we meet together as believers. Is that not putting things upside down? It is the Lord, Who is inviting us in His house (the ecclesia), to His table, and around His word. Not He, but we are welcome.

Delen: