[Jesus
said] “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who
holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden
lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how
you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call
themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are
enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown
weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had
at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the
works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your
lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the
works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to
eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation
2:1-7 ESV).
Jesus knows each church community and each person in it. He knows our strengths. He knows our weaknesses. The community of believers at Ephesus received praise from Jesus for persevering in the truth. Yet there was a character flaw that needed their immediate attention. They had lost their first love. This is a powerful revelation. Church communities can be faithful defenders of God’s truth, but their love for God can also grow cold. Love is what happens when the amazing grace, mercy, and love of God wash over us, cleansing us, flooding our souls, and making us new. This is the description of when truth-telling overwhelms grace-giving.
It seems incredible,
but God loves us without limit, though we do not deserve any of his love. Every
church community and every member of it needs to linger and live in the wonder
of God’s gracious love. We need ways to remember and celebrate this love in the
songs we sing, the prayers we raise, the stories we share, the sacraments we
celebrate, and the care we give to others.
Jesus uses a word in
this letter that brings us back to the way he started his public ministry:
“repent.” This is a call to turn around, change direction, and get back on
course. For church communities to be Spirit-filled, “golden lampstands,” the
passion of love needs to be at the heart of everything we do. Rule-keepers rarely
love, while those truly in love often keep the rules.
No comments:
Post a Comment