What If Jesus Should Visit You?

Danville, Virginia, 1929

Rev. Oscar Guinn Delivers Sermon Burton Memorial

"If Jesus should visit you would you be ready to receive Him?" asked Rev. Oscar Guinn, who delivered an inspiring and forceful sermon yesterday morning at Burton Memorial Presbyterian Church on "Being Prepared."

"Sometime ago I read a story about a woman who dreamed that the Master Christ would visit her home the following day," said Rev. Mr. Guinn, "and she began planning immediately for his reception. She devoted herself most assiduously to cleaning and beautifying her home. While thus engaged an old woman came to her door to tell her of her troubles and cares, but she had no time for she was looking for a great and noble guest. And then there came another to her door, a cripple, thin, pale and gray, asked her to let him rest and stay awhile, as he was hungry, faint and weak, but she said she was grieved and sorry that she could not help him today. And then another came — a baby, cold and barefooted and in need of care, but she was so busy housecleaning that she could not help it then. That evening while sitting in a rocker, the woman fell asleep and again dreamed of seeing the Saviour, and when she asked Him why He had not called, he said, 'Three times did I call upon you and craved your pity and care — three times you sent me onward unhelped and uncomforted. The blessing you might have had is lost and your chance to serve is fled.'

"How many times has Jesus called upon you, my friends and you turned Him not away?" asked Rev. Guinn. "How about that poor fellow who was down and out? Oh, how cold and indifferent some of us are to sufferers and unfortunates! "Let us not be so engrossed with the affairs of this world that we have not the time to serve Him."

—The Bee, Danville, Virginia, February 4, 1929, page 2.

Note: The essentials of this sermon illustration are the same as Grandpa Jones' "The Christmas Guest" song. And looking around on the internet, the theme of it goes back at least to Tolstoy.