Lenten Midweek V

Letters from Our Lord: To the Churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea

Lenten Midweek V

March 20, 2024

Text: Rev. 3:7-22

            This evening, an admonition to see the open door, and seize the opportunity; and a call to repent of the sin of apathy, to hear Jesus as He knocks upon the doors of our hearts, and get up, and open to Him, that He may flood our hearts and homes, and our very lives, with His gifts. 

            He levels no criticism toward the Christians in Philadelphia.  He knows their works, and that, despite their little power, they have faithfully kept His Word and refused to deny His Name.  They have patiently endured hostility, particularly on the part of unbelieving Jews (again the “Synagogue of Satan”).  And now, the door is opened wide.  Jesus has opened it, He who is holy and true, the One who holds the key of David.  He opens, and no one can shut.  He shuts, and no one can open.  It reminds us of the Office of the Keys.  “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus says to the Apostles, “and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” that is, forgiveness is withheld from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent, “and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” that is, the sins of the repentant are forgiven (Matt. 16:19; ESV).  And the called and ordained ministers of Christ… the angels of the Churches… are sent out for this very purpose, to deal thusly with sinners by His divine command, which dealing is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ, our dear Lord, dealt with us Himself.

            But in this case, what is the open door?  It is another function of the Office of the Keys, and it belongs to the whole Church, and every member has his or her part, and that is the mission of the Church, the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen for sinners, and the full and free forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe in His Name.  The pastor preaches, absolves, and administers the holy Sacraments; and the believers receive the gifts, and confess Christ, and live lives of love and faithfulness and service toward their neighbors, believing and unbelieving alike.  Even when it brings upon them hostility and rejection and suffering. 

            The door is open now, Jesus says.  Don’t miss it!  The Lord is coming soon, and in the meantime, there is persecution ahead, so take advantage of the open door before it closes.  “I know you are of little power,” says the Lord.  “I know you are insignificant in the eyes of the world, mostly ignored and despised by those who seem to be something.  And, you don’t have much in terms of worldly wealth.”  He could almost be speaking to us, couldn’t He?  Indeed, He is.  “I know you are a little flock.  I know you have no home to call your own.  I know that you are the best kept secret in town, that the big churches (perhaps, even, of your own fellowship) hardly acknowledge you as a contributor to the Kingdom, and most of them are unaware you even exist.   But none of that matters.  None of it is power in the Kingdom of God.  The Word is power, because the Spirit is power, and you have My Word and Spirit in abundance.  So get busy.  Don’t let your perceived ‘little power’ hinder the mission.  Proclaim!  Love.  Serve.  Suffer.  Faithfully.  In My Name.  I will not forsake you.  Keep your eyes ahead.  Focus them on Me.  Yours is not to know what I will do with your witness, nor to determine the direction you will go.  You, just follow Me.”

            And, what is the Promise?  Jesus will make you… even you, this little congregation… a pillar in the Temple of God.  A pillar… Unshakeable (that is a pretty important Promise to the Christians in Philadelphia, who’s city was prone to violent earthquakes).  You will have the Name of God, and the Name of the City of God (the New Jerusalem… the Church!), and Jesus’ own new Name written on you.  And you do, in Holy Baptism.  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Christian.  You belong to God, and to the very Bride of Christ, the Church.

            It is good to be “of little power,” in this way, the way of the Philadelphians.  Because many Churches, and the Christians who inhabit them, who are rich and prosperous in the goods of this world, suffer from another phenomenon: Apathy.  They just don’t care that the door is open.  They simply aren’t interested whether others hear and believe the Gospel, and so live.  In fact, they themselves, have come to take the Gospel gifts for granted.  They even despise them, consider it a hum-drum duty to receive them, look for any old excuse to avoid them.  Because they are comfortable.  And the reason for their comfort is all the luxury money can buy.  So, they are neither cold, nor hot. 

            A cool glass of water, or an ice-cold beer… There is nothing better on a hot summer day.  And a hot cup of coffee in the early hours of the morning, that’s just what I need to start the day off right.  But a brimming mug of lukewarm and stale swill refreshes nobody.  What would Jesus do?  He’d spit it out of His mouth. 

            The Laodiceans were just such lukewarm Christians.  There is no commendation for them.  Only a call to repentance.  They’ve become complacent.  The gangrene of apathy has set in.  They are swimming in gold.  The wealthiest city in Phrygia.  Known for sheep and fine black wool and woven garments, and also a famous medical school, situated at the juncture of two important trade routes.  Life was good.  The Laodicean Christians were rather like the man in our Holy Gospel (Luke 12:13-21).  Store up the wealth and take life easy.  Why worry about others?  Let them worry for themselves.  Go to Church, sure.  That is the Sunday obligation.  But otherwise, relax.  Eat, drink, be merry.  It’s the good life.

            You fool.  These riches are fleeting.  They only last for this life, and maybe not even that long.  When you die, then whose riches shall these be?  What happens if Jesus spits you out of His mouth (not only death, but eternal death)?  See, despite your monetary wealth, you are actually wretched, pitiable, poor, blind.  And, like Adam in the Garden you are naked, and should be ashamed.  We must admit, this apathy is our danger, too.  For we are wealthy and comfortable.  Our Church may be small, but our lives are not.  We have it pretty good.  It is easy to trust in wealth, kick back and relax, with nary a care for those who are poor, and especially for those who don’t know Jesus. 

            Out of His great love for us, the Lord calls us to repent.  What ought the Laodicean Christians do?  What should we do?  Jesus says, “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” (Rev. 3:18).  “Your gold will never be enough.  You need My gold if you are to possess the true riches.  And in My economy, the true riches are always free.  They are the very Gospel gifts you have come to despise.  And your black wool garments?  They are the garments of sin and death.  Cast them off.  Repent.  Be baptized.  And be clothed with the splendid white garments of My righteousness.  This alone will cover your nakedness and shame.  And for your blind eyes… the ointments of your medical doctors will never do.  Come to Me and be anointed with My salve, again, My Gospel, My death and resurrection for your sins, My Holy Spirit.  He will open your eyes.  He will enlighten you.  And you will have life.” 

            And then you can be zealous!  Zealous for God’s Kingdom!  Zealous for the Gospel gifts!  Zealous for mission, for Gospel proclamation!  And zealous to provide for your neighbor in need!  The Lord has opened wide the door.  Be now zealous to walk through.  Have you closed it in self-centered apathy?  Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  This is not decision theology, by the way.  He is not knocking at the doors of unbelieving hearts, hoping they will make a decision to let Him in.  He is knocking at the door of your heart, whom He has already made His own by Baptism and faith.  He is preaching.  Now, He wants you to hear His voice.  And what should every Christian do when he hears the voice of Jesus?  Run to the door and fling it open with joy!  And what will happen?  The Lord will come in and eat with you.  A Holy Meal.  The presence of the Savior.  And there is more yet (there is always more with the Lord, more riches)…  Jesus will grant you to sit with Him, and with His Father, on the royal throne… to rule with Him.  And, as He said to the Philadelphians, those who once abused you will come and bow before your feet, and learn that the Lord has loved you (v. 9).  Some in fear and dread, because they persecuted God’s Christians and rejected Christ until the end.  But some in love and adoration, because you took advantage of the open door, and proclaimed the Gospel to them.  You confessed Christ to them.  You were not apathetic.  You loved them with the love of our loving Lord.  Such love is never of little power.  It is the power that conquers the world.

            And so, here endeth the letters.  It is usually in bad taste, never mind illegal, to open mail addressed to others.  But the Lord has caused these letters to be written here for our eyes in Holy Scripture, that we may have ears, and so hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.  Jesus writes them for us.  He knows us.  He knows our situation, and whatever we may suffer.  He is present with us, walking among the lampstands, and He holds the stars, the angels, the pastors of the Churches in His pierced hand.  He warns us against the things that hurt us: sexual immorality, idolatry, security in worldly wealth, apathy.  And He calls us back to Himself and the love we had at first.  Beloved, the time is short.  There is suffering to be borne.  But only for a little while.  Darkness descends over the cross on Good Friday.  But in the dawning light of Easter, we will see.  Christ is risen.  He lives and reigns.  Repent, and trust in His Promise, and He will give you the crown of life.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.