Yet You Are Rich
(Rev 2: 8ampsim11)
When asked What bothers you the most in your life?, not a few Christians answer Church! Eugene Peterson said, Church is a heavenly colony built in a deadly world. Its not popular among us because its not completed yet as a perfect heavenly kingdom. John described the church in Smyrna among the seven churches as the one that pleased God, saying 'yet you are rich!' What then is a truly rich church like?
1. It is a church confirmed by the Lord of Resurrection. Smyrna was a city famous for its loyalty to the Roman emperor, and its wealth was the reward of their loyalty. Yet the Christians in it suffered persecution because they worshiped God instead of a human emperor. Thats why Jesus, the First and the Last, who died and came to life again visited them. In the midst of extreme trials, they were greatly consoled by the letter sent by the Lord, who introduced himself as the creator and the judge of the world. We also need to introduce ourselves properly, when sharing the gospel with others, considering the situation that they are in.
2. It is a church whose afflictions Jesus knows well. The church in Smyrna had financial difficulties because the political, economic, and cultural system of Smyrna was closely related to emperor worship. The Christians in this church were persecuted especially by their fellow Jews, who exercised great influence on the market through their rationalization of worshiping the emperor. And God told them that he knew the afflictions, poverty, and slander that they suffered for the sake of the Lord. Therefore, in reality, they were truly rich. Thus what makes us truly rich is our afflictions, poverty and slander for the sake of God, about which God knows well.
3. It is a church that prepares for the trials to come. God kept His high standard of the church in Smyrna by, instead of consoling it, urging it to prepare for the trials to come. The gospel is preparing for the trials to come. A church is a community where the witnesses of God show the heavenly kingdom by sharing their testimony. God also gave us our badge of trials so that we will look to God alone in our trials and share with others that only He is alive. Verse 10 says, 'the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.' Ten is the perfect number, which stands for an iota compared to 2000 years for which the church of Smyrna enjoyed its glory, a short designated period of God. If we take the term of our 60-year-imprisonment with only-60 mindset, we will enjoy the heavenly kingdom there. God will give us the crown of life when we stay in our prison in obedience. What about you? What prison are you in?
4. It is a church, faithful, even to the point of death. Faith is not morality, but competence. We may need to be rebellious to our Rome in order to be faithful to God. Actually this is the best way for us to love our Rome. Notice that the people of the Smyrna church, who had no one but God to rely on in their trials drove Rome to be finally evangelized in AD 313 through their application of faith. When we are ready to die in our trials, both we and even our opposers will be saved in Gods time. Rome didnt repent when Polycarp, the bishop of the church in Smyrna was martyred just as Saul gave approval to Stephens death (Act 8:1). We should not have false hope for our family who sees our trial as a matter of course. Instead we should remain faithful and wait to the point of death till Gods time arrives.
5. God will give this church the crown of life. God gives us his promise along with his command. Worldly people are scared of death and go to hell. But godly people who are not afraid of the first death will never go to hell, the eternal second death. Do you have no one around you to help you? Then be ready to die and keep going until God says Stay there! Then God will give you the crown of life and spare you from the second death. A deaconess of our church had her husband who took her suffering as a matter of course whether its from his illicit love affairs or his wifes breast cancer or his heartlessness. He even delayed his wifes surgery until securing a patient room for 6 people. Nevertheless, the deaconess didnt divorce her husband and showed him her faith life. She was truly rich in her faithful life. If we humbly endure our life to the point of death, God will make us save our whole family. The Holy Spirit also will let us know how we have lived and enjoy the glory forever like the church in Smyrna.
'I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich (Rev 2:9)'
