Thursday, May 2, 2019
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22
You know
that old saw about finding the good in anyone?
It’s not in here. In this vision
of Revelation Jesus is dictating letters to John to the seven churches of Asia
Minor. When it comes to the church at
Laodicea he’s got nothing good to say.
The sticky
part here is that when Jesus didn’t find something good to say about them, He
didn’t follow my mother’s advice; He didn’t just keep his mouth shut. Instead the letter is a scathing rebuke of a
proud, content group, prancing around in their miserable wretchedness.
There’s
nothing good about lukewarm faith. The
story about the Frog in the Kettle is evidence enough; lukewarm water may feel
comfortable to a frog placed in body-temperature water in a pot on the stove. If the water was boiling he’d jump out like a
rocket going off. But if you raise the
heat ever so slowly, the frog’s body will adjust to the temperature until he
just sits there and cooks to death.
Such is
the picture of the church at Laodicea, cooking to spiritual death in their
comfortable complacency. They’ve got
what they think they need, and no longer have any desire to engage
in hot pursuit of following Jesus. Like
the fable about the emperor who was convinced his new invisible suit of clothes
was the height of fashion, and pranced around naked for everyone to admire, the
church at Laodicea was blinded by materialism and power bought with earthly
riches.
So, what
does Jesus do…cleans their clock, right?
He slashes and minces them up like a frog in a blender. No…not at all. Jesus, in a matter-of-fact tranquil tone
informs them they’re on the wrong path, and warns them to repent, get hot for
the Kingdom; He wants them to change their ways. His crowning touch of mercy is to offer them
friendship. He tells them they’ve put
him on the outside with their attitudes, but he’s standing at their door, knocking
to come inside.
This is
the kindness of our Lord…one who is patient and loving, willing to have open
arms for the sinner-saint gone astray.
The invitation is always extended to come back!
For You Today
It’s easy to slip-into complacency.
There are a million excuses (I’m too old, too young, not trained, things
in the way, fear, comfort, sickness…et al).
Every one of the excuses is tied to temptation, and each one raises the
temperature of the water in the cooking pot.
So, wake up; it’s later than we think!
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