Day 352: Revelation 3:17–22

You say, “I’m rich; I have become wealthy, and need nothing,” and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked (v. 17).

The Laodiceans did what many people in our culture do today. They filled their gaping need to matter with possessions, then gauged their usefulness by their wealth. Praise God, neither then nor now can wealth state worth.

Save your breath trying to convince Laodicea, however. When Christ drafted His letter to John, Laodicea was the capital of financial wizardry in Asia Minor, a marvel of prosperity. She described herself as rich and in need of nothing (Rev. 3:17).

I discovered some interesting pieces of information that help explain the audacity and laxity of the Laodicean church. In ad 26 the city placed a bid to the Roman senate to build a temple to the Emperor Tiberius. They were denied on the basis of inadequate resources. But their wealth so vastly increased over the next several decades that by ad 60 after the devastation of an earthquake, they didn’t accept aid from Nero. They had plentiful resources to rebuild themselves. (Do you hear the hints of independence?) In a nutshell, they thanked Rome but assured them they didn’t need a thing.

Money. The Laodiceans had it. They were in the lap of luxury and didn’t think they had a care in the world. Little did they know, however, that Christ was walking among their lampstands.

The last portion of Psalm 62:10 speaks a good word to the Laodiceans—as well as to us. “Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” I live in a city that never expected to be known for the collapse of one of the biggest financial empires in America. We learned the sobering lesson that billions of dollars can be lost as instantly as hundreds. We cannot set our hearts securely on riches no matter how vast.

In Matthew 13:22, Christ addressed another wealth-related issue readily recognizable in Laodicea. He told of the person who received the Word but then allowed “the worries of this age and the seduction of wealth” (hcsb) to choke the fruitfulness out of it. Beloved, wealth by itself is not the issue. We serve a God of infinite wealth who can distribute the riches of the world any way He sees fit. Our troubled world certainly needs resources in the hands of wise people. The problem is the “seduction” or “deceitfulness” of wealth.

Two of my precious friends have not been deceived by wealth. Frankly, I never knew they were wealthy at all until someone told me. I’ve served in the same church with them for several decades and have never met less pretentious, more generous people. They are constantly involved in inner-city and foreign missions. I’m convinced their only attitude toward their resources is that of stewards over a trust. While others in their position might have locked themselves behind gates and pretended much of the world wasn’t starving to death, they threw themselves right in the middle of it.

The Laodicean church could have used my friends! This wealthy church somehow didn’t grasp the principle in Luke 12:48 (kjv): “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Their worth was so ingrained in their wealth that they honestly saw themselves as utterly independent. We “need nothing.” Famous last words.

The older I get and the more my eyes open to the facts of life and ministry, the more my list of needs exceeds my list of wants. For instance, I need to have an active, effervescent daily relationship with Jesus Christ or I’m sunk. I need my husband’s blessing. I need my coworkers. I need my church family. I need a friend I can trust. These are just a few necessities of life to me right now.

You see, one reason we readily give is because we, too, need. Taking stock of both our contributions and our needs helps guard us against self-deception. The Laodiceans had needs, too. They just didn’t recognize them. But—praise be to God—their self-deceived indifference had not deemed them castaways. Christ had a stunning response and remedy to the Laodicean deception (v. 18).

His first prescription was “gold refined in the fire.” Peter gives us a clear idea of what Christ meant. Peter wrote of “your faith—more valuable than gold” (1 Pet. 1:6–7 hcsb).

Christ’s second prescription to Laodicea was “white clothes” to wear. The black wool fabric for which Laodicea was famous was the fashion rage all over that part of the world. He suggested they trade their fashions for purity. Ouch.

Jesus’ final prescription was “ointment to spread on your eyes.” Not only was Laodicea a marketing and financial capital, it also housed a well-known medical center. Ever the marketers, they were best known for Phrygian powder that was used to make salve for eye conditions. All the while, they were blind as bats and poor as beggars. I’ve been both.

One thing I’ve learned about God is that He is faithful in every way. He is faithful to forgive, redeem, bless, and provide. He is also faithful to chastise when His child won’t readily turn from sin. Yes, the Laodiceans had a prescription, but Christ had no intention of letting them wait a month of Sundays to get it filled without consequences.