“Behold, I stand at the door and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door,

I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  (Rev. 3:20).

There was once a man with a daughter who was very ill.  He believed that positive thinking, coupled with faith in a Savior whom he didn't know or understand, could save her.  He heard a knocking at the door, but was too preoccupied and too wise to answer.  Outside stood His Savior with an offering of medical knowledge which would save the girl, but she died because of his ignorance.

The next three houses contained families who were sworn enemies.  One house professed to be Christian, but knew not their Savior.  The second house believed in an all-powerful Allah, and denied the Christ.  The third house denied all religion.  The neighborhood was filled with misunderstanding and hatred.  They each heard the knocking at their doors, but no one answered.  They were each self-righteous, depended upon their own wisdom, and were afraid that the knocking at the door might be their despised neighbor.  Outside stood their Savior with an offering of peace, happiness, knowledge, and love unbounded for both God and man; but each house was busy reveling in their shared  hatred and misery.

The last house on the block was occupied by a man with a virtuous wife.  He was a good man in every way, except that he willfully and purposely ignored his Redeemer.  He heard the knocking, but refused to open because of his ignorant neighbors who misused and misunderstood Him who wished to redeem them all.  The Savior stood at his door with an offering of eternal life, eternal happiness, and eternal marriage with his virtuous wife; but the man refused to open.  Religion might be knocking.  His neighbors were immersed in false and vain and foolish doctrines, and he wanted nothing to do with such obvious ignorance.

Question:  Who among them all was wise?

Who among them all would open the door that could only be opened from the inside?

The doors had no outside handles or knobs.

Only the virtuous wife.  She opened the door.

Only she was wise.  She went on alone to eternal happiness,

and left all the foolish and ignorant to their eternal regrets.