Revelation 3:14–22 (ESV)
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “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.
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 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. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 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. 21 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. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Dear fellow redeemed: We come now to the last of the letters to the seven churches. It is one of the best known because the “neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm” has become a common expression in the language. In fact, as I started typing out the phrase, Microsoft Word automatically finished it for me. This letter is also one of the most severe, without any commendation. Nevertheless, as always, it comes with words of hope and mercy.
In the ancient world, letters began with the writer identifying himself – sort of like the masthead and inside address on a business letter. In this case, Jesus names Himself the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. He is the Amen, the Truth, the perfect and true witness, the One who bears witness to the world about the true and living God, for through the Son, the creation was begun, as John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” (John 1:1–3, CSB)
This put them on notice – and us too – that these words are nothing less than the words of God to you. How can anybody be lukewarm about words from God Himself, who speaks words of forgiveness, words that include us in His tender care, and words that honor us and take away our shame?
As with the other churches, both for our comfort and, as here, for our warning, Jesus says clearly, “I know you.” I know your works: He knows what they do and what they do shows an indifference to Him and His grace: 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. Interestingly, Laodicea was known for its lukewarm water from the city waterworks.1
1 There is a play here on the geography of Laodicea. Across the Lycus River valley was the city of Hierapolis, where there were extensive hot springs, and there still are. They pour out over the hillside and leave behind minerals in the form of snow-white travertine marble. The Turks call the place Pamukkale, “cotton castle.” (https://awesomebyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Fascinating-Thermal-Pools- of-Pamukkale-6.jpg) In the ancient world, Hierapolis was a spa city where people came to retire or to get treatment.
At the same time, in many of the cities like Laodicea, the waterworks consisted of a fountain at the high spot in the city. From there the water would flow down a channel through the city for everyone to use. Underneath the channel was the sewer, completely contained, and the water would occasionally be released into the sewer to clean it out. The fountain of Laodicea is still there, with the pipes all filled with minerals (https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-863Gesl7pRs/WFAqXDRK-QI/AAAAAAAACYk/rt9ACuHnnSoIGDx2sWZKgqlypNYwtG4PwCLcB/s400/Laodicea- fountain.jpg) because the water for them was piped across the valley, under the Lycus River, and up to the height of the city. By the time it got there, it was lukewarm and the minerals were precipitating out of it.
The mineral water that was cold in most cities, or pleasantly hot as in nearby Hierapolis was disgustingly lukewarm in Laodicea. So it was with the church. The pastor was on the spot here to examine himself and his easy indifference. Like many churches today, the Laodiceans were prosperous. They thought themselves a great church and the pastor very successful. They weren’t subject to persecution, they were well accepted by the city in which they lived, they were in harmony with the local pagans, and their members made a good income without anybody trying to boycott or cancel because of their beliefs.
It reminds me of Willow Creek near us in Illinois, It was one of the first “megachurches” in the country. They were “rich” in donation income because they taught what people wanted to hear. There was no talk of repentance, and people could live their hedonistic lifestyle without their consciences ever becoming uncomfortable by any pointed teaching of God’s law. Consequently, they were also devoid of the true gospel. They and so many other churches seem to be rich. But Jesus says otherwise: 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
So what are the true riches that they lacked? And if we are to read this as a letter to the US, what must we take care to keep? Jesus tells us. 18 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.
The gold is the kingdom of heaven just like Jesus had said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44, CSB) and “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19–20, ESV)
The white garments are the righteousness of Christ, from God, and ours by faith. As Isaiah says, “…he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10, ESV)
The salve is to heal our blind eyes to see the light of Jesus Christ, our Savior, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV)
And how do we “buy” these riches? For free, as Isaiah declared, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1, ESV)
As I said at the beginning, How can anybody be lukewarm about words from God Himself, who speaks words of forgiveness and that give us righteousness, words that include us in His tender care, and words that honor us and take away our shame?
To be lukewarm is to be indifferent. So what does it mean to be cold, and how is that better? To be cold is to know what it is to have no hope. There are many who haven’t heard the wonderful truth of Christianity. That might be you if you are visiting with us today. The Christian Gospel is the message of hope. The essence of the Christian faith is that we are all dying be- cause we are born spiritually dead, alienated from God. While all people know there must be some kind of god, the true and living God has revealed Himself throughout history through His word, and then through God the Son, who became a true man by being born of Mary. Hereconciled us to God by living a perfect life, and suffering our punishment on the cross, rising again from the dead so confirm our forgiveness. Now He says to you, acknowledge your sinful- ness and believe this word of forgiveness and the promise that you too will have a place in heaven and ultimately rise from the dead yourself.
The ”cold” have never heard this, but hearing this gospel, this good news may bring them to saving faith.
The “hot” on the other hand, are those who treasure deeply God’s gifts of the Gospel through His word and sacraments. This isn’t necessarily an emotional zeal because our human emotions are always up or down. To be “hot” is to place such a value upon God’s gift and promise of salvation that it permeates our lives, defines our worldview, and gives us true hope in the face of every adversity and of death itself.
How can we get over being lukewarm? We can easily fear that it’s like other things we become indifferent toward – a hobby, a career, or even a marriage. Some love or values are hard to reignite. But there is hope for us even in our indifference. Jesus says, 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.
There are many who have grown indifferent to the faith because they feel they don’t need it. They have prosperity and peace and that is enough. But then the Lord brings adversity into their lives, adversity that cannot be eliminated by money or complacency. They find that “when every earthly prop gives way,” Jesus alone is our strength and hope.
In such a moment, Jesus assures us that He is knocking and calling out to us with the Gospel, and that call is a powerful call, awakening us from sleep or even calling us to life. (Don’t put the “decision theology” spin on this, that conversion is our work. That understanding contradicts the whole of Scripture.) And it comes with a promise, the promise that is always there in the Gospel, that we will never be alone, never be cast away, that eternity will be light, not darkness, reconciliation, not alienation, the fulfillment of our hopes, not the anguish of regret and despair.
And now I pass on these words of my Lord, the One who called me to be His faithful messenger. They apply to these letters, but also to all His words of warning and promise, of law and gospel, of repentance and forgiveness that I have passed on to you these past five years, and the 52 years since I first stepped into the St. Matthew Lutheran School classroom: 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
And also this: AMEN! This is most certainly true!