The Church of the Laodiceans

By Thomas M. Parsons

On a hot day, nothing satisfies like a cold drink. On a cold day, nothing satisfies like a hot drink. But on no day does a tepid drink satisfy, at least not for most people.

The ancient city of Laodicea, situated south and east of Philadelphia, was cursed with a tepid water supply. Piped in from a hot spring about five miles distant, the water was neither hot nor cold when it reached the city. The water was drinkable, but unpleasant because of its temperature.

Disregarding its water supply, as part of the wealthy Roman province of Asia Minor, Laodicea enjoyed a comfortable, even luxurious, lifestyle. Like the other six cities mentioned in the Revelation, wealth was the norm, not the exception. Many of the believers lived in comfort and wealth.

The city was known for its medical school which specialized in the training of ophthalmologists. It was also the city in which eye salve was produced for the treatment of various conditions affecting the eyes. The success of the city provided for good food, good clothing, nice homes, and medical care for the citizens of the city.

But Christ had little good to say about the church that was located in this city.

Their deeds, He said, like their water, was neither hot nor cold. Like visitors to the city who sometimes spit out the tepid water because it was so unpleasant, Christ is ready to spit out the Laodicean church.

Christ saw the people as ineffective in their efforts to promote the Gospel. Perhaps their ineffectiveness was linked to their ease of life and their enjoyment of wealth and comfort. They had a medical school and practitioners to take care of their health needs, they had a water supply that lacked palatability but was, nevertheless, plentiful, and lived in homes in a city that was beautiful and comfortable. When life is as good as it was in Laodicea, one did not readily think of the urgency of the need to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After all, who needed anything more than they already had? Well, maybe some ice to cool down that water!

Further, Jesus criticized the believers for their enjoyment of the wealth the city provided to the exclusion of enjoyment of the spiritual wealth He offered them. They thought they were rich; He said they were poor and blind and naked. Instead of trusting in the riches of the world provided by the city, they needed to buy spiritual gold from Jesus so they could truly be rich. They needed to get white clothes of righteousness from Him to cover their shameful nakedness. And they needed to get salve from Him to anoint their eyes so they could see.

He rebuked them, he said, because He loved them. He warned them to repent and to dedicate themselves earnestly to service for Him.

This article is a chapter from Mr. Parsons' book Come, Lord Jesus. The book is now available from Amazon, and from this website.

One of the most striking images ends the message to the church of Laodicea. Christ presents Himself as standing outside the door and knocking. If anyone opens the door for Him, He will come in and eat with them.

A gracious guest does not just barge in to someone else’s home. He knocks. He seeks admission. He waits for the owner of the home to open the door to him. If the owner fails to open the door, he or she will miss out on the opportunity to fellowship with God.

Here is a dramatic picture of the modern church in the twenty-first century. Living in a world of comfort and wealth, having at its disposal an immense array of expensive technology, being able to consult with medical professionals and receive treatment for a wide range of diseases that formerly were debilitating or deadly, and seeking to be all-inclusive and non-judgmental in its dealings with those outside the church, Christianity, even evangelical Christianity, has lost the ability to effectively impact contemporary culture.

The church today seems more interested in embracing the culture than preaching the Gospel. Worship seems more about music styles than about God. With a multitude of communication tools at its disposal, the church seems to communicate little of the truth to people. The church has become lukewarm, tepid, and as such it offers little taste to anyone, including the Lord.

The modern, contemporary church has closed its doors and sits inside in its comfortable play clothes praising itself that it is rich and that it sees clearly where it is and what it is here to do. But outside, at the closed door, stands the One whose church it actually is. He has pronounced a verdict on the church. It is wretched. It is pitiful. It is poor. It is blind. It is naked.

And yet He stands at the closed door and knocks. And if anyone in the lukewarm church steps up in faith and opens the door, He will come in and enjoy sweet fellowship with the one whose faith is strong enough to invite the Lord into His own church. Praise the Lord for those whose faith is in Christ rather than in self, who still proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ instead of the acceptance of all no matter who they are or what they believe, who, though using a variety of music styles, concentrate nevertheless on the Lord.

The others, like a tepid drink on a hot or a cold day, Jesus is ready to spit out of His mouth.