We are very familiar with Jesus’ letter to the church at Laodicea. This the church where Jesus says that he is standing at the door, knocking, ready to come in. It’s also the church where Jesus says that they are lukewarm and that he is ready to vomit them up. The reference is to two water springs that supplied the city, one hot, one cold leading to tepid water. Jesus is saying that they are neither one thing or the other.
The idea of being lukewarm has become part of our language and we tend to use it to refer to half-hearted Christians, even though it originates as the description of a whole church. This creates the impression that what is needed is for those luke-warm believers to be fired up and spurred on to a more intense and passionate Christian life.
Luke again though at the letter with me. What is the real problem at Laodicea? Jesus says:
“You say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
The issue is not one of half-heartedness but rather of self-deception. They think they have all that they need, that they are doing well. However, the reality is a long way from that. To be spiritually speaking, poor, blind and naked is to bear the shame of sin. It’s to lack the real covenant blessings of the Gospel.
So, their need is not to be fired up but
“to buy from [Jesus] 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.
They need the true spiritual wealth of God’s blessing. They need grace, God’s Riches at Christ’s expense. They need to be clothes in Christ’s righteousness. They can’t be neither one thing or the other. They cannot at one level give the impression of being a church, of being Christians whilst lacking the very thing that makes a church, the presence of Christ. That’s why Jesus stands at the door, on the outside, that’s why they need him to come in.
Faithroots 