Revelation 3:14-22 — Laodicea

Before we dig in, a little background on the city. Laodicea was located near Colossae and Hierapolis. It was well known for its exotic black wool, banking services, and medical achievements — there was even a medical institute that produced eye ointment — and for being at the end of a long aqueduct that brought water from other cities. Laodicea had everything: a major city of commerce, very wealthy and affluent. So wealthy, in fact, that in 60 AD during the reign of Nero a great earthquake destroyed the city, and the people refused Roman finances to rebuild — they paid for it themselves.¶

"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.

Revelation 3:14 (ESV)¶

The Amen, the faithful and true witness¶

Jesus introduces himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning. The word "amen" is remarkable — transliterated from Hebrew into Greek, Latin, English, and many languages, almost a universal word, directly related to the Hebrew word for "believe" (aman), or faithful. It came to mean "sure" or "truly" — an expression of absolute trust and confidence. Jesus is our Amen. He also calls himself the faithful and true witness (part of the warning he is about to give), and "the beginning of God's creation" — which does not mean he was created, but that the beginning of everything is Christ; in the beginning God created everything by his word (John 1:1-3). So Jesus tells this church: I am the one to put your full assurance in; I am faithful and true; and without me you would have none of the things you are currently trusting in.¶

Lukewarm¶

"'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.

Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV)¶

My brother is not unclear about how he feels about Jesus, God, the Bible — he calls it all magic and directly denies it. I often say, "at least he is cold; that is better than being lukewarm" — because I would rather he have a cold, even angry relationship with God than an indifferent one where he has no concern for him at all. The most dangerous place a person can be is indifference. The church in Laodicea was Christ's church — they knew him, believed in him — and yet they were lukewarm.¶

Colossae was known for its cold springs and Hierapolis for its hot springs. Laodicea had no water supply of its own, so an aqueduct brought water from Hierapolis six miles away; it came out of the ground hot and arrived tepid — useless for bathing or drinking until cooled or heated. They would have understood this picture well; Jesus often uses everyday things to open our eyes to our need for him. This church was passive, unengaged, and inactive — it had lost its enthusiasm and zeal for Christ, and no fruit was coming from it. Christ is uninterested in a lukewarm church; the taste is so unpleasant to him that he says he will spit them out of his mouth.¶

"I am rich and need nothing"¶

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Revelation 3:17 (ESV)¶

Their wealth, medicine, and comforts caused their hearts to grow cold and their passion for Christ to fade; their prosperity replaced their Savior. Our flesh always finds the path of least resistance — to find comfort, to be full, clothed, fed, and healthy — and if we are not vigilant, those things quickly become what we live for, making us forget our need for a Savior. This is exactly what God warned Israel about (Deuteronomy 8).¶

Remember Jesus also introduced himself as the "faithful and true witness" — a reference to Jeremiah 42. There, a small remnant left in Judah, afraid and powerless, went to Jeremiah to seek God; they said, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word..." (Jeremiah 42:5). God warned them to remain in the land and not run to Egypt — a type of the world — where they would feel safer (Jeremiah 42:9-16). God wanted them to trust him, not Egypt. Jesus, the faithful and true witness, is reminding his church that our trust should be in him, not in our abilities, wealth, or possessions.¶

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.

Proverbs 18:10-11 (ESV)¶

The contrast between the righteous and the rich man is where his trust is. Laodicea's trust was in itself, its wealth, its city — everything but Jesus. Where is your trust? In your money, your accomplishments, your retirement plans, your health insurance, your education or strength? All of this sounds very similar to where we live — self-sufficiency, wealth, abundant food, entertainment, all the medicine we could want. In the most literal sense we have almost no actual need as a church in America, and if we are not careful, our prosperity will make us forget how poor and needy we truly are without Christ. Jesus isn't saying wealth is bad or that we may not prosper — rather, they allowed themselves to be deceived by it.¶

And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Mark 4:18-19 (ESV)¶

Jesus desires good fruit from his church (John 15:1-2), and he is about to prune this church, as he prunes us.¶

"Buy from me"¶

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.

Revelation 3:18 (ESV)¶

Jesus touches with precision all the things they trusted in instead of him — the money and commerce, the fine clothes, the medical advancements, all the things they were known for and prided themselves in. He does this even to us; he will touch anything we put above him. As the old adage goes, he cares more about our character than our comfort. Paul tells Timothy to charge the rich "not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God... to be rich in good works" (1 Timothy 6:17-19). This is what Jesus is telling them: buy from him, be clothed by him, be healed by him — for this is where they will find true riches and true life.¶

"Those whom I love, I reprove"¶

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Revelation 3:19 (ESV)¶

Jesus loves his church — every one of these churches is his, the bad and the good, the weak and the strong. He loves them with an everlasting love and disciplines them because they are his (Hebrews 12:5-11).¶

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 (ESV)¶

Jesus is standing at the door and knocking; we must hear his voice (John 10:27) and let him in to eat with us — he will fill us, strengthen us, and give us what we need to follow him and bear much fruit. Often when we meet hardship, trial, or tribulation, we run to what we see as our safety net — our money, our food, our medical system — before running to our Amen, our faithful and true witness. Christ must be the one we depend on; we must not allow anything else to take his place at the table of our hearts.¶

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:21-22 (ESV)¶