Laodicea: The Tepid Church

                If someone were to ask you to list the particular condemnations spoken to each of the seven churches of Asia in Rev 2-3, which ones would most readily come to your mind? For me it would be Ephesus for having lost their first love and Laodicea for being Lukewarm. In fact, I probably would struggle with trying to match from memory the stated condemnations to the other five churches. But I’d have no problem telling you what Jesus said to Ephesus and Laodicea. These two really stand out as memorable, and especially the latter. You may not know what the churches at Sardis or Pergamum or Philadelphia were noted for, but everyone knows about Laodicea. They were the church that Jesus wanted to spit out of his mouth. Who could forget that? Jesus said to them, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Rev 3.15-16). Ironically, being lukewarm appears to be more detestable to Jesus than even some of the most horrendous sins that the other churches were guilty of, such as following the immoral teachings of Balaam or of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2.1-15). Think about it. A church such as Pergamum, for example, that evidently had a significant number of members holding to teachings associated with idolatry and sexual immorality, simply called forth the statement, “But I have a few things against you.” While they were warned to repent, “a few things against you” hardly sounds serious (I’m not saying it wasn’t, mind you). But to Laodicea Jesus says, in effect, “You make me so sick that if you were a drink I’d throw up if I tasted you.” And why? Not because of anything as abominable as sexually immoral teaching or idolatry, but simply because they were lukewarm. They were indifferent, halfhearted, apathetic, unenthusiastic, tepid. They weren’t necessarily doing anything wrong. They just weren’t doing anything at all. Of if they were, they weren’t doing it with much enthusiasm.

                The problem was that they were rich, and they knew it (vs.17). Or more accurately, they were poor and they didn’t know it. They simply thought they were rich, no doubt because from an earthly and material standpoint they were.  And being rich, they were self-sufficient and self-satisfied. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and the church at Laodicea was anything but. That’s the drawback and danger of being rich. And if Laodicea truly is the most famous (or infamous) of the seven churches, perhaps that is not so much because of the almost shocking condemnation it receives as it for the close similarity with our own situation. Maybe we most readily remember what Jesus said to Laodicea because their situation most closely resembles our own. That we are rich relative to most of the world no one can deny. But have we also become lukewarm because of it? We may not be cold toward God and the gospel, but could we be described as being on fire? If not, then there is only one alternative left. And in the eyes (0r mouth) of Jesus, it is too detestable to even think about. But think about it we must, lest it should happen to us. If we are materially rich, that’s OK.  But may we never forget our utterly destitute condition and our dependence on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Rich or poor or somewhere in between, may the fire of our love for him never diminish, but burn ever hotter and brighter with passing time.

© 2008 Randy Hohf