The Church in Laodecia

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.’” (Revelation 3:14-19 ESV).

 

Jesus’ letter to his church in Laodicea is stirring and gripping in its imagery. This church community is identified as being like lukewarm water, not fit for drinking. It may be the best known of the churches He mentions because of both the accusation of being “lukewarm” and the following verses depicting Jesus knocking at the door. Jesus is very clear. He says, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” The culture of Laodecia is perhaps the most like our own in modern America. We should understand the root of the formation of such a culture of being neither cold nor hot.

 

There was a smug sense of self-security based on accumulated wealth and possessions. This church had become rich in material goods. Prosperity and success convinced the Laodicean Christians that they had everything they needed. They were relatively independent because of their technology and architectural accomplishments. They had fully functioning aqueducts and a system of roads that brought enormous business opportunities to them.

 

However, in this letter Jesus gives smug self-security a bone-chilling reality check. He says, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” I wonder which hurt more: being told that they did not know the truth of their own condition, or the string of negative descriptions that we read here. These are painful words for a church to hear. But at the same time, these words reveal the degree to which Jesus loves even a lukewarm community of believers, desiring their repentance. We should listen to Jesus’ reality check for what it is: a love letter calling for repentance and change.