Rev 2:18-29 Secret Knowledge
Thyatira receives the longest letter of the seven churches and the prophetess leading believers astray was nicknamed Jezebel after the infamous and idolatrous wife of King Ahab who opposed Elijah hundreds of years earlier. The main god worshipped in Thyatira was Apollo, and many Christian members of the guilds that depended on contracts associated with the worship of Apollo and other gods were tempted to compromise their faith.
There are no deep secrets of Satan, there are only deep truths of God, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians. C.S. Lewis uses this reference when Aslan is killed by the White Witch, another Jezebel, but comes alive again and tells the faithful Narnians that the witch did not know of the deep magic.
Today was a day of temptations for me, mercifully small ones I could meet with Godamprsquos help.
I attended two university classes and in both of them the students looked up expectantly at me because of my age and white hair and twice I had to say that I was not the professor or a guest lecturer.
I couldamprsquove explained myself in such a way as to glorify myself. Instead, I simply told the truth: I was a student finishing a PhD that Iamprsquod screwed up 35 years ago. There was nothing special about me. I made no compromise with myself and my position. I had no secrets or secret knowledge.
Fifteen years ago, this was not the case when I had a contract to replace a professor on sabbaticals. Because of my high evaluation by students, I was interviewed by a committee for a second contract.
I had to answer questions on English literature and I was asked to explain what I did to garner such high evaluations because none of the professors on the committee had ever had such high grades. I said I had a lot of teaching experience. I got another contract.
What I wanted to say was that most professors werenamprsquot trained teachers and werenamprsquot really interested in teaching.
If they were they would find out how to teach and apply it. I chose to see my teaching ability as higher than the research skills of the learned men who were interviewing me. I arrogantly took my incomplete PhD as equal to their completed degrees.
I took my bits of creative writing as equal to the scholarly articles and books they had written. I looked upon my reading as more than equal to theirs.
Like Jezebel, I saw myself in possession of deep secrets that should be rewarded with equality to the full-time professors rather than a paltry, short-term contract. Like Jezebel, I believed I was important, but the truth was that I was just an envious teacher who had failed years ago to achieve what I had set out to do. I had no secrets, I was a puffed up teacher capable of attracting a following of students and convincing them I should replace one of their boring professors, nothing more. I had nothing substantial to offer.
God in his mercy kept knocking me lower and lower until I had no job at all. Then he built me back up and took me further than I had ever been. Now heamprsquos making me finish what my pride, envy, and arrogance had earlier ruined.
Application: volunteer to do the first presentation in class to show my determination to do a good job of the task before me.
Lord, let me look to you for all truth and not busy myself with seeking any deep secrets other than your love.
