Revelation 2:8-11
“Jesus' Letter to Smyrna”
We’ve begun a series, this Lent, looking at Jesus’ letters
to the 7 churches in the early chapters of the book of Revelation. These 7 churches in Asia Minor, which is
today known as Turkey, represent a broad spectrum of the challenges and
blessings that all Christian churches face.
Last week we heard about the church of Ephesus, and how while they stood
firm against false teaching, their love had grown cold. We saw that Jesus’ love shines forth to us in
the truth of his Word, and that word warms our hearts to love our neighbors.
Tonight, the second letter that Jesus wrote to the churches
of Revelation goes to the church in Smyrna. And I have to tell you that this
letter holds some personal importance for me. Please bear with me, as I don’t
usually include personal things in a sermon.
Some years ago, I sat down with my grandparents and learned
some family history. They told me that my great-great grandparents, whose last
name was “Chrystodoulos”, were Greeks living on the coast of Turkey in a town
called Smyrna. This is the same town mentioned in our reading.
We're not sure exactly why or when, but sometime in the late
1800s, many of the Greeks living there, including my great-great-grandparents,
were massacred there by the Turkish army, and my great-grandfather Sammy was
orphaned. Later, he made it to America, where his last name was shortened to
“Chryst”.
Many Christians still visit Smyrna today, as part of their
“Footsteps of St. Paul” and “Lands of the Bible” tours. But of course, it’s now known by its Ottoman
Turk name, “Izmir”. Perhaps we will even
make such a tour one day with a group from Messiah.
It's interesting, too, that throughout its history, Smyrna
has been a place of conflict. I don't know if my great-great-grandparents were
Christians or not, but most Greeks were. And the Turks, being Muslim... well
I'm sure that the religious differences had something to do with that conflict.
But in the first century, it was Roman emperor worship and
traditional Judaism that competed with early Christianity. And when Jesus
writes his letter to the church in Smyrna, they were suffering persecution, and
were about to suffer more. He writes:
8 “And to the angel of
the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and
came to life.
9 “‘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. 10 Do not
fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have
tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one
who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
It can only be Jesus writing. He is the First and the Last – the one who
died and came to life. His eternal
divinity and his glorious resurrection are calling cards no other can
provide. Singular credentials. We do well to take note.
First, he speaks well of the church at Smyrna. He commends them for being rich, even though
they are poor. Certainly he means that their spiritual riches far surpass the
earthly wealth they lack. This is the same Jesus who warned about wealth, and
of gaining the whole world but losing one's soul. The same Jesus who contrasted
the Rich man and Lazarus – one wealthy on earth, but spiritually bankrupt. The
other a poor beggar, but who inherits life eternal. So often in Scripture it is
the poor who are truly rich in spiritual blessings.
And this should make us reflect. Whenever there is much talk
of a poor economy, and tough times with many people losing jobs and losing
money in the markets, and gas prices give us a healthy dose of sticker-shock.
Still, most of us are blessed with more than what we need to get by. We could
be much worse off. But no matter what the economy does, and whether we struggle
to pay our bills or not – we can truly say we are rich. We can rejoice, like
the Christians of Smyrna, in the riches of God's grace shown to us in Christ.
We have the blessings that money could never buy, and that we could never earn
– all the benefits won for us by the perfect life and sacrificial death of our
Lord Jesus Christ. We are rich. Our treasures on earth pale compared to our
treasures in heaven.
Jesus also comforts the church of Smyrna, as they face trial
and tribulation. Perhaps their poverty was partly because of persecution.
Certain Jews were speaking falsely about them. And wow – Jesus calls those Jews
the “synagogue of Satan”. In other words, they think they are the true
believers, the true inheritors of Abraham – but they are caught up in Satan's
lies. And the devil, perhaps through these blasphemers, will soon persecute and
imprison some of the Christians.
Such trials and tribulations are really tests of faith. Like
Abraham who is tested when God tells him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Like Job, whose faith was tested in great
suffering. Like the Apostles and St. John himself who saw this vision while he
was exiled to a prison island. God's people are often put to the test of faith.
And it is God who gives us the strength, and gives us the faith to face and
pass those tests.
For those in Smyrna, it would be a short and finite test.
Ten days – likely a symbolic number for a short but complete time set by God.
And for us, while some suffering seems shorter and some seems longer, there is
always an end. Even if the persecution ends in death itself, there is a promise
beyond the grave.
One important point to learn from these letters, and from
Scripture in more general terms, but particularly from the mouth of Jesus – is
this: That persecution and suffering do
not indicate God’s disfavor. He knows we
will face it, he warns us about it, and promises to be with us through it. And so for the Christian persecution can
become something very meaningful, as it deepens the faith, draws you to rely
more fully on God’s grace, and as you see God’s faithfulness through to the
other side. Suffering isn’t a sign that
God is angry with us, rather, he helps us through the suffering, and brings
good from it. Therefore we do not fear
it.
Suffering, especially from persecution, can also draw us
nearer to Christ. For he suffered for us
and was glorified. 1 Peter 4:13 reminds
us, “But rejoice insofar as you share
Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is
revealed.”
He includes this beautiful promise, many even have it as
their confirmation verse, - “be faithful
unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”. Only he can give it,
because he has won it for us. He who wore the crown of thorns and shed his holy
precious blood give also rose victorious over death to give us a share in that
victory.
It is perhaps worth noting that of all the various ranks of
angels there may be, in all their power and glory, no angel is ever given a
crown or depicted wearing a crown. No
angel is given a share in the reign of Christ.
But the church is. Christians
are. His promise of the crown of life
indicates a share in his victorious reign, beginning even now, and seen in its
fullness in the glory of the world to come.
But it is a crown of life – not just to exercise authority and dominion
but also in the service of life, and with the promise of eternal life in
him. A crown of life is better than a
crown of diamonds and gold. The crown of
life is our heavenly reward which we never earned, but is given to us by faith
in the First and the Last, the one who died and rose again.
Thank God for the riches – physical and spiritual that we do
enjoy, especially those blessings that come to us in Christ. Thank God that we
are free from persecution and trials, and pray that he sustains us if they ever
do come. And Thank God for the promised crown of life waiting for all of us who
trust in Jesus Christ.
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