"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer... be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'" (Revelation 2:8-10)Like the long time friend of a newly crowned celebrity, Smyrna was a faithful friend to the city of Rome. When Rome took power as an empire, Smyrna came along as part of the gang. One of the perks of being a favored city was that Smyrna was among the first to popularize emperor worship... even to the point of giving out certificates for burning incense at Caesar's temple. Trouble is, Christians wouldn't do that... they couldn't recognize Caesar's lordship or deity. So Smyrna became a dangerous place for Christians. Sadly, persecution was the norm- especially defined by financial and physical suffering. And to them Jesus brings the encouragement that the church will shine like Christ when it suffers like Christ. This encourages us as we see three things in the passage:
1. Christ sees His suffering church. The One who is the first and the last saw the mess sin had made of His creation and entered in to creation to save it. But the Savior suffered the loss of comfort, of popularity, even of His life in order to save us. But Jesus isn't just the One who died... He is the One who died AND came back to life (v 8). Jesus' resurrection changes everything! It means suffering isn't eternal, it means Jesus didn't suffer in vain, and it means that we don't suffer in vain. But suffering tempts us to believe that God has forgotten us, and we must remember that Christ sees us in our suffering. He knows our tribulation. In what ways are you tempted to believe that God has forgotten you in the midst of your latest trial?
2. Christ redefines the impoverished church. In a day when it was legal to steal Christian's property because of their faithfulness to Christ, poverty takes on a new definition. The believers in Smyrna weren't lacking luxuries, they were lacking everything. Food was scarce, businesses were ruined, the future looked bleak. And the believers were tempted to believe that their wealth was tied up in their current circumstances. But Jesus reminds them and us that "it is not poverty to be poor." Instead, our status as those forgiven our offenses against God and destined for the riches of an eternal kingdom trumps everything. Whether rich or poor in earthly standards, the only lasting assessment is the richness of our soul. When we remember this, we don't have to fear the loss of anything on earth. Each trial or loss reminds us to fix our eyes on things that are unseen and declare, "we are rich." How have you been reminded lately that your wealth is not bound up in what you possess on earth? What specific things have you done lately that remind you of the richness of the gospel?
3. Christ rewards the faithful church. When you read verse 10, it's amazing to see the two realities Jesus addresses: 1. the church doesn't need to fear AND 2. the church will suffer. Jesus says, "Do not fear WHAT you are about to suffer." Suffering for them meant the devil would bring about the imprisonment of some of the church leading to their death. But Jesus says, "Be faithful..." which makes me wonder, "What does faithfulness look like?" But faithfulness unto death is only possible if we love Jesus more than life. Otherwise, I'll be faithful to preserving my life instead of faithful to preserving my testimony. This was simple in Smyrna: don't bow to the emperor. This is more complex in the US- but I think there are still some simple questions:
- Do I love Jesus more than I love my comfort?
- Do I love Jesus more than I love my reputation?
- Do I love Jesus more than I love my money?
- Do I love Jesus more than I love my life?
Have a great time in CG!
