Year 0, Day 14: Revelation 2

Ephesus

Jesus tells the church that He loves them, they have a good pattern of testing the spirits to determine who is good and who is false, they are unable to bear evil in their company, and that they are skilled at enduring for the name of Christ.  Furthermore, they hate the Nicolaitans – a group of people we don’t know a ton of information about but whose name literally means “lay conquerors.”  Thus, we assume it is a doctrine and teaching that enforces that the lay people are “less of a follower” than someone ordained or in a position of apostleship.  Jesus gives a pretty clear message to those who think the ordained are higher than the laity and who think that the ordained can do things that the laity cannot.

This is a very long list of good things that the people of Ephesus have going for them, but you’ll notice that they are certainly not perfect.  Christ says to them that they have forgotten their first love.  They have given up on loving – perhaps loving their neighbor, perhaps loving to share the Gospel, or perhaps even loving the fellowship and gifts that God has brought within them.  In any case, while they are continuing to be people of faith, they have an absence of love. 

I can say that I have felt that from time to time – perhaps more often than I’d care to admit.  I know what it feels like to believe in God and to be absolutely confident that Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for me … and yet at the same time to go through life without much love.  If I do not love my neighbor, am I really obedient to Christ?  If I do not value the gifts that the Holy Spirit has graciously placed within me, do I really love Christ? 

Yes, I know what it feels like to believe but be absent of love.  It doesn’t feel much at all like the Christian I am when I am filled with God’s love.  So we learn from Ephesus that love is important in the Christian walk.

Smyrna

Here we have a comment to a church and there is very little – if any – rebuke.  They are in persecution.  They are poor in worldly stuff – although they are reminded that they are rich in the Father.  They are slandered by those who are not truly following God.  Isn’t interesting that the churches who are under persecution also have a faith that doesn’t have much to rebuke!

Oh, by the way, John tells them that it’s going to only get worse before it gets better.  In fact, John tells them that they are to remain faithful even unto death.  That’s fairly foreboding!  Here we can see that just because you say that you love God doesn’t mean that life will be cake and roses.

However, there is a promise that John relays to them from Jesus.  Faithfulness – some might say belief and obedience – will bring them the crown of life.  Through John, Jesus reminds them that if they continue to submit to Christ, they will receive their place in the kingdom.  As dark as the foreboding portion of the letter to Smyrna is, the promise is even greater.  In the midst of worldly trials, there is always hope in the eternal.

Pergamum

Here we have a shorter list of things Jesus has in favor with them.  They live close to the center of power against them and they have managed to persevere.  Proximity to evil does not always indicate evil itself.  Satan himself is working quite close to this assembly, and they are commended for remaining faithful and remaining willing to work so close to Satan’s grasp. 

However, their faith is not without rebuke, either.  Apparently they are susceptible to being willing to cause their fellow believers to stumble.  They have people among them who seem to believe that lay people are not “as significant in the faith” as the apostles or other clergy.  They have sexual immorality among them. 

Jesus’ warning is clear.  Living close to the grasp of Satan is dangerous – but it is also no excuse.  If we are close to the hand of Satan we must be extra vigilant that we do not fall or else we will find ourselves at war with Christ just like anyone else who falls.  Being willing to minister in areas where there is an imminent threat of temptation is laudable – but dangerous – work at best.

Thyatira

Here we have a people who seem to be getting better.  The faith is increasing among them.  Their latter works are even better than their first works! 

However they are not without immorality.  Again we see the rearing of the ugly head of sexual immorality.  Again we see the willingness to honor other gods in sacrifices to idols. 

The warning is clear.  In fact, I do think that this is a good point to bring out the connection between sexual immorality and worshiping something other than God.  To God, both are adultery.  The church is the bride of Christ.  When those in the church worship something other than God, it is as though we are adulterous against Christ – who remains faithful to us.  This is why we so often see idolatry and sexual immorality paired together – because in God’s eyes their root cause of sin is essentially the same.  The warning is clear – if we involve ourselves in an adulterous relationship against our God, prepare to get cut off and destroyed.  God is patient, God will give us time to repent, but watch out if we do not repent! 

Also notice that God does not place any burden on Thyatira except this one.  It is almost as if God is saying, “This one is so big it will take all you have to fight against it.”  Let that be a clear warning to us.  Sexual immorality and spiritual adultery is always a tough fight.  It is deeply rooted within humanity and it takes constant vigilance to keep it out of what we are as a community.