To the Shepherds in Laodicea

By Holly Culhane

Laodicea, the church to whom the seventh epistle of Jesus Christ’s revelation was written, the church to which my thoughts turn most often.

Located at the intersection of three important roads, Laodicea was known for its affluence. The banking center for the province of Asia Minor, the home of a major medical school that produced a world-renown eye salve, and famous for producing a glossy, black wool woven into garments prized in the Roman world – that was Laodicea. Their wealth was so great that after an earthquake in 60 AD, the citizens declined help from Rome to rebuild, doing so independently. They constructed an extraordinarily beautiful city in a remarkably short period of time. By 62 AD, they had regained the glory and capital lost during the disaster.

Wealth was the city’s triumph over the circumstances, but also the cause of its spiritual decline. The church of Laodicea had been established by the preaching of Epaphras, a fellow servant of Paul. By the time they received Jesus’ letter through John, however, the church had deteriorated to such a state the most severe condemnation of all seven churches was received.

Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea.

 This is the message from the one who is the Amen — the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.

I wish that you were one or the other! 

But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 

You say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!”

And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

So I advise you to buy gold from me — gold that has been purified by fire.

Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love.

So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock.

If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne,

just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

— Revelation 3:14-22

Lukewarm. That’s the term Jesus used. Those in the church at Laodicea were neither hot nor cold.

The city had no natural water source. They received their water from Hierapolis where the hot water was medicinally healing, and from Colossae where the cold water was refreshing and pure. But Jesus was not talking about what has been described as the tepid, mineral-rich, nauseating water the Laodiceans were drinking. He knew, however, they would well understand the term. When Jesus dictated these words to the Apostle John, Jesus was referencing their spiritual condition.

Jesus, through John, was not the first to write the believers in Laodicea. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians some 30 years earlier, Paul was desperately trying to shepherd well those in Colossae and Laodicea by specifically requesting the Colossians share the letter they had received from Paul with the believers in Laodicea. He wanted to assure they understood God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself, because in Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Through that letter, Paul shared how he and Epaphras worked hard for these believers, agonizing for them. It was clear Paul desperately wanted the Laodicean believers to move from sin to life with Christ. He wanted them to walk in Christ and to be rooted and built up in our Lord and established in faith, seeking the things of above.

But apparently they would have none of it. Instead, they chose independence from the God of the universe. “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” they replied in arrogance and stupidity. And their response was to the One who established Himself at the beginning of the letter as the God of truth (the Amen), as a faithful true, and reliable observer of all He witnessed, as well as the source of all creation. Nothing they had He had not created! Nothing they possessed He had not permitted! Their wealth, their reputation, their medical discoveries – all were by His permission.

The under-shepherds of Laodicea were so self-absorbed they had missed they were indeed in great need. These believers had no idea that in reality they were wretched, pitiful people of few resources, unable to see the truth, and in fact naked, the ultimate humiliation in the ancient world.

Their hearts were not on fire for God, nor had they turned cold against Him. They were languishing somewhere in between – lukewarm. In part, the Oxford dictionary defines lukewarm is as “halfhearted, unenthusiastic, uninterested, unconcerned, passionless, unmoved”. This is how those in this church were described toward God! The dictionary also used this term define lukewarm: “Laodicean”! Yes, Laodicean!

These believers had become shortsighted, moving away from God’s standards and replacing them with their own. They had, therefore, lost the ability to see the reality of their situation and were fully exposed, unprotected, like the fictional emperor character in the Hans Christian Andersen children’s story.

Then entered the unconditional love of the Son.

Jesus offered them forgiveness, reward – the true wealth of faith and grace, the white garments of honor, and the salve that clears vision to see the real truth.

Why? Because He loved them. Because even amidst of the mockery they were making of the church, fully dependent on themselves and indifferent toward the Almighty, He was giving them another chance. Individually. One by one. To repent, turn to Him, and change from tepid to on fire for the Father.

He was standing at the door of their souls, knocking, allowing them to voluntarily open the door and welcome Him back into their lives, their businesses, their schools, and their church. He was inviting them to a deep and personal relationship with Him, where He is Lord over every part of their lives.

He offered the under-shepherds and their flock victory. But… accepting it was a choice. He would not force Himself upon them, but He would – because He loved them – provide correction and discipline should they choose not to turn from their indifference.

It’s a sobering thought for Jesus to find us lukewarm. Maybe that is why my thoughts turn so often to this epistle. Each time, I ask myself, Am I on fire for my Lord? If He wrote a letter to me today, what would it say? Would it be like the letter to the under-shepherds of Laodicea, or those in Philadelphia, or the believers in Ephesus?

You must ask yourself the same: Is this the letter Jesus would write to you today? Have you turned from a deep belief and trust in the Son of God, burning with hunger and passion for His word and His ways, to a disinterested, unmoved life of blind nakedness, going through the motions of a relationship with Christ? Are you a shepherd after God’s own heart… or did you used to be? Has your leadership – inside and outside of the church – turned to a lukewarm neglect of The Good Shepherd that influences little how you influence others?

Is He knocking… knocking… knocking… at your heart and soul today? Close your eyes and listen for it. What do you sense Jesus is saying to you? Is He begging you with the love of a Divine Father to open the door and run to Him in repentance? If so… and you say yes… love, forgiveness, and reward await.

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

DIGGING DEEPER QUESTIONS:

1. If Jesus wrote you a letter today, what would it say? 
2. Is there any part of your shepherd leadership that you need to repent of, and turn away from, to be able to shepherd well? 
3. Based on changes you make in response to the first two questions, what kind of under-shepherd do you see yourself being in six months?