Revelation 3:14-22: a reflection

14“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things: 15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. 21He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

To the church at Laodicea, Christ speaks a sharp rebuke about a dangerous condition: You are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth. And he exposes the root of it: they said, I am rich, and have need of nothing, not knowing that they were wretched, poor, blind, and naked. Their danger was a lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency: they thought they had need of nothing, comfortable and content, while in truth they were spiritually poor. Their self-satisfaction blinded them to their real condition.

Notice the danger Christ names: lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency. The Laodiceans were not openly hostile to Christ; they were lukewarm, comfortable, content, saying they had need of nothing. And this self-satisfaction was precisely the danger; it blinded them to their real poverty, made them complacent when they should have been zealous, and was so distasteful to Christ that he would spit it out. Their sense of needing nothing was the very thing that kept them from the riches Christ offered. The lukewarm complacency that thought itself rich was, in truth, wretched and poor.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can fall into a lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency that thinks it needs nothing. We can grow comfortable and content in our faith, no longer cold in rejection but no longer hot in zeal, lukewarm, saying in effect that we have need of nothing, complacent about our condition; but Christ warns that this lukewarm self-satisfaction is a grave danger, blinding us to our real poverty and need. He counsels us instead to come to him for the true riches. Do not settle into a lukewarm complacency that thinks it needs nothing; hear Christ's call to zeal and repentance, and come to him for what you truly lack. Guard against a lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency that thinks it needs nothing, hearing Christ's call to be zealous and to come to him for the true riches, as he rebuked the Laodiceans who said they had need of nothing while being poor; for the lukewarm complacency that thinks itself rich is in danger, and Christ calls us out of it to zeal, repentance, and the riches only he can give.

Lord Jesus, to the church at Laodicea, you speak a sharp rebuke about a dangerous condition: you are neither cold nor hot; I wish you were cold or hot; so, because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth. And you expose the root of it: they said, I am rich, and have need of nothing, not knowing that they were wretched, poor, blind, and naked. Their danger was a lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency: they thought they had need of nothing, while in truth they were spiritually poor. Show me the danger you name: lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency. The Laodiceans were not openly hostile to you; they were lukewarm, comfortable, content, saying they had need of nothing. And this self-satisfaction was precisely the danger; it blinded them to their real poverty, made them complacent when they should have been zealous. Their sense of needing nothing was the very thing that kept them from the riches you offered. Take that to my heart, for I too can fall into a lukewarm, self-satisfied complacency that thinks it needs nothing. I can grow comfortable and content in my faith, no longer cold in rejection but no longer hot in zeal, lukewarm, saying in effect that I have need of nothing; but you warn that this lukewarm self-satisfaction is a grave danger, blinding me to my real poverty and need. Keep me from settling into a lukewarm complacency that thinks it needs nothing; let me hear your call to zeal and repentance, Lord, and come to you for what I truly lack, the true riches only you can give.