Laodicea,
located in the Lycus valley, was a wealthy and booming commercial city because
of its strategic position. It stood at the junction of important trade routes
running somewhat north-south and east-west across the district of Phrygia. Like
most towns likewise located, they gained from frequent trade traffic. Laodicea was
also a center for banking operations. Besides, it was a place also known for
raising a breed of sheep that produced quality black wool. Since Hierapolis and
Colossae were also located in the Lycus valley, the church in Laodicea had a
close relationship with those churches there too. Laodicea also boasted of a
fine medical school and many from the region would come to be trained as doctors.
In particular, the school specialized in eye conditions. And here in Laodicea,
a special eye-powder from Phrygia was also readily available. On the religious
front, Laodicea worshiped Asclepius, the god of healing.
One
major setback Laodicea had was in the water. The River Lycus at this point was
not strong and at times it would even dry up in summer. However, Laodicea had
two other sources of water. A chemically charged hot spring from Hierapolis up
north where aqueducts were built to channel the water to Laodicea. But when hot
spring water reached Laodicea, it would have become lukewarm. Furthermore, the
highly charged chemical in the water also made it impossible for drinking. The
other source was the water that flowed from the snow-capped Mount Cadmus through
Colossae to Laodicea. By the time the cold water arrived at Laodicea it would
have been exposed to the heat that would render it lukewarm. It is this process,
hereby hot water had been cooled down, and cold water being heated up, that the
water became lukewarm. Christ rebuked them for being like the lukewarm water and
totally undrinkable. It meant that they were apathetic and unable to decide
between one or the other. Their commitment
was in question and Christ would have none of this.
The
wealth of the city had obviously rubbed on to the Christians. So they
unwittingly adopted the attitude saying, “I
am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” Unfortunately, they
did not realize how “…wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,”
they were. What they needed was not wealth but
the kind of gold that only Jesus could give to make them rich. The white
garment they needed would be the kind only Jesus could provide and not the
black woolen garment their sheep produced. The kind of eye-salve, the best from
Phrygian, could never deal with their kind of eye condition. Theirs was a spiritual
blindness which only the eye ointment that Christ would give, could heal.
In
verse 19 Jesus was telling the believers in Laodicea that even though they were unfaithful, as people He loved, He would tell them truthfully and bluntly and
discipline them. Because He cared about them He gave them opportunity to repent
and change. Those whom the Lord loves, He also disciplines. He would not
hesitate to take us into tough circumstances to bring us back to our right senses.
It’s here that we understand why His message to the Laodicea starts by
referring to Himself as “The Amen, the
faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.” He is the One who stays true to
His word. He is the One who is true to His witness. As the Beginning, Jesus is
the One through whom creation came into being, and He is also the One that the
new creation now comes into being.
As He beckoned the Laodicea church, Christ is also beckoning us, especially those of us who have become lukewarm in our relationship with Him. He wants us to make a willing response, for He is far too gentlemanly to force His way in. And when we listen and obey and act, opening up to Him to accommodate Him in every area of life, He will come and fellowship with us. While preachers have often used this verse to call unbelievers to repentance, it is more appropriate to apply this to believers who have grown lukewarm. This is an invitation by the Lord for us to be reconciled with Him. To overcomers who respond, Christ will grant Him to reign and rule with Him as He has also been given the right to rule. As the Spirit had spoken to the people in John’s era, He is still speaking to the church today. The pertinent question to ask in closing is: are we listening to what Christ is saying to us, through His messages to the seven churches? More importantly are we responding to the?
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