Lenten Reflection: The Sword of My Mouth

The following is the fourth in a series of reflections on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

For more reflections on these letters, check out the hub page for the series.

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

The Sword of My Mouth

A Reflection on the Letter to the Church in Pergamum

And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:

I know where you are living, where Satan's throne is.  Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.  But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication.  So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Repent then.  If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.  To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

Revelation 2:12-17 (NRSV)

When all around me starts to fall

And when my faith it seems so small

Even in my darkest hour

I will believe

Even if the sun begins to fall

Even when I feel nothing at all

Even if I'm all alone

I will believe

From "Believe" by Mainstay

Christ acknowledges that many of the Christians in Pergamum have remained faithful to Him, even though they live "where Satan's throne is."  N.T. Wright notes that Pergamum was both "a major centre of the imperial cult of Rome and it's emperors" and "the seat of the Roman governor of the whole region."  People who lived in such a city would naturally feel a lot of pressure to participate in Roman civic religion, in which the Roman gods and Roman emperors were worshiped.¹  Christ highlights a faithful witness named Antipas, whose execution has surely caused believers to become anxious about standing out in Roman society.

Christ goes on to note that there are some Christians in Pergamum who have followed the teachings of the Nicolatians, whom he compares to Balaam.  In the Book of Numbers, we read that Balak, the king of Moab, commissioned the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites.  As a prophet, Balaam could only speak the words that God gave him, so he ended up blessing the Israelites instead.²  Because Balaam could not curse the Israelites, Balak resorted to using the women of his country to seduce Israelite men into worshiping their false god Ba'al.³  Balaam is later revealed as the one who gave Balak this idea.⁴

Similarly, some of the Christians in Pergamum have apparently been "seduced" into compromising their faith.  In this letter, perhaps Balaam represents, among other things, falsehood, specifically the false teaching that one can faithfully follow Christ while also serving the "gods" of the surrounding culture.

Christ tells the people who have started following this false teaching to repent and warns them that, if they fail to do so, He will come to them and "make war against them with the sword of [His] mouth."  In this letter, Christ is identified as "him who has the sharp two-edged sword."  Remember that, when John describes his vision of Christ at the beginning of the Book of Revelation, he says that "from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword."⁵  Toward the end of the book, Christ is depicted riding into battle on a white horse, and, once again, there is a sword in His mouth.⁶

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a day when people "shall beat their swords into plowshares" and when "nation shall not lift up sword against nation."⁷  Christians believe that this is what the world will be like when Christ returns to reign, yet, numerous times in Revelation, Christ is depicted with a sword.  It is worth noting that the sword is always in His mouth and never in His hand.  The sword then must be a metaphor.  In the message to the Hebrews, the writer states, "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."⁸

The war Christ is threatening to wage is a war against the lies that people have started to believe, and His weapon of choice is the truth He speaks.  Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and, when He walked the earth, He was a teacher and a healer.  He was also a prophet, and the job of a prophet is to speak the truth, thereby combating the falsehoods that harm people.

In the Gospel, Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."⁹  Since enemies tend not to be people we love, maybe Jesus is telling us not to have enemies at all.  Jesus follows His own teaching on the Cross, where He prays for the very people who have just crucified Him, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."¹⁰  Basically, Jesus is saying that His killers are acting out of ignorance.

If we follow in Christ's footsteps, then we must never view other people as our enemies.  Mahatma Gandhi, a prophet of his own day, once said, "Your enemies are just victims of misinformation as you have been.  Don't kill, hate, or abandon them.  Bring them truth in love relentlessly.  And in the process, your own soul will be ennobled and enlarged."¹¹

Paul writes, in his letter to the Ephesians, that "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  He goes on to state that, for this spiritual battle, we need spiritual armaments, which he calls "the whole armor of God."  These armaments consist of "the belt of truth," "the breastplate or righteousness," shoes that prepare us "to proclaim the gospel of peace," "the shield of faith," and "the helmet of salvation."  Paul tells us to take as our weapon a prophetic word from God, which he calls "the sword of the Spirit."¹²

As followers of Christ, we are indeed engaged in a battle against evil, but our battle is not against evildoers but against the lies that drive their behavior.  With the sword of truth, such lies can be vanquished and those held captive by the lies can be liberated.

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Questions for reflection:

• If people are not our enemies, then who or what is our enemy?
• What kind of falsehoods in our world must we battle with the truth?

Notes:

1. N.T. Wright.  Revelation for Everyone.  2011, Westminster John Knox Press.  pp. 20-21
2. Numbers 22-24
3. Numbers 25:1-5
4. Numbers 31:16
5. Revelation 1:16 (NRSV)
6. Revelation 19:11-16
7. Isaiah 2:4 (NRSV)
8. Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV)
9. Luke 6:27-28 (NRSV)
10. Luke 23:34 (NRSV)
11. Mahatma Gandhi as quoted by Mel White in his contribution to A Man's Journey to Simple Abundance.  2000, Simple Abundance Inc.  p. 202
12. Ephesians 6:12-17 (NRSV)

The photograph featured above has been released to the public domain.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Lenten Reflection: Even Though You Are Rich

The following is the third in a series of reflections on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

For more reflections on these letters, check out the hub page for the series.

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Even Though You Are Rich

A Reflection on the Letter to the Church in Smyrna

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:

I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich.  I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.  Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

Revelation 2:8-11 (NRSV)

Cure your children's warring madness

Bend our pride to your control

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness

Rich in things and poor in soul

From "God of Grace and God of Glory" by Harry Emerson Fosdick

Christ, in His letter to the Christians in Smyrna, acknowledges their poverty, and He recognizes that they have been the subject of slander by a group He calls a "synagogue of Satan."  Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that some of the language in this letter has probably been used in antisemitic ways in the past.  Remember that many of the early Christians were also Jews.  This letter reflects, in N.T. Wright's words, "a struggle within Judaism, not against Judaism."¹

Note that one meaning of the Hebrew word satan is "accuser."  At the beginning of the Book of Job, when the heavenly beings present themselves to God, someone identified as Satan arrives and lobs accusations against the titular character.²  Wright suggests that there was a religious group in Smyrna that similarly lobbed accusations against the Christians in Smyrna.  He writes, "Perhaps it was accusations like that, with social and political consequences, that had given Smyrna's Christians a taste of poverty in an otherwise rich city."³

Though Christ acknowledges the poverty of the Christians in Smyrna, He tells them that they are actually rich.  He warns them that they will soon face persecution, but He promises a crown of life to those who remain faithful in the midst of it.

The letter to the Church in Smyrna is a letter about courage and perseverance.  That said, I think it is also an invitation to rethink what it means to be rich.

When I was a child, one of my favorite television shows was Fraggle Rock.  Truth be told, I'm still rather fond of it.  The show was created by renowned puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.  Fraggles were essentially Muppets who lived in underground caves.

On one early episode,⁴ two of the Fraggles - Gobo and Red - find a treasure map that leads to the Ancient Treasure of the Fraggles.  At first, they believe that the treasure is one million diamonds, and they are initially hesitant to tell anyone about the map, because they know that, if they tell more Fraggles, they will have to divide the treasure with them.  Eventually, they realize that they will need help finding the treasure, as it is hidden in a dangerous place, so they tell their three best friends and agree to split the treasure five ways.

During the night, the Fraggles find the treasure and bring it back to their home.  Gobo says to his friends, "In a minute, we may all be rich," and he proceeds to open the treasure chest.  Inside the chest, the Fraggles see a sparkling gold cylinder.  The cylinder starts turning, and the chest starts playing music.  The treasure chest is actually a music box, and the Ancient Treasure of the Fraggles is actually a song.  The Fraggles realize that they have to share this treasure with everyone, so they take the music box to the Great Hall.  The other Fraggles in Fraggle Rock awaken, gather in the Great Hall, and begin singing along to the music box.

Gobo and Red look around them at all the Fraggles who have gathered around the treasure they found, and Red says, "You're right, Gobo.  We are rich."

Gobo and Red thought that the treasure they were seeking would be something they would not want to share, but the treasure they found turned out to be something they could not keep to themselves.  Furthermore, they started to realize that they were rich even before they found the treasure.

Jesus begins His sermon on the mount with an announcement of blessing upon the people He calls "poor in spirit," saying that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.⁵  Later on, in the same sermon, He encourages us not to collect "treasures on earth," which don't last forever, but to instead collect "treasures in heaven," which cannot be taken from us.⁶  Some people believe that Jesus is saying that the good things we do in this life will be transformed into literal riches in the next.  I believe that Jesus might be saying something else.  Jesus teaches us to pray that God's kingdom comes to the earth and that God's will is done on earth as in heaven.⁷  One way we can prepare for God's will to be done on earth as in heaven is to start treasuring in our hearts what is valued in heaven.

Paul writes to one church about having "treasure in clay jars."⁸  The treasure of which he speaks is the message of hope we call the Gospel, and the clay jars are the ordinary, imperfect, lackluster lives through which we embody and share the Gospel message.  In other letters, Paul writes about the spiritual gifts that enable us to work together as the Body of Christ,⁹ which are simultaneously gifts God gives to us and gifts God gives through us.  These are treasures we are not meant to keep to ourselves.

Personally, I tend to feel poor when I compare my life to the lives of others, but, when I consider that I have gifts to share with people, I realize that I am indeed rich.

Having a lot of money and possessions does not make us wealthy, and not having a lot of money and possessions does not make us poor.  During this Lenten season, may we reconsider what it means to be rich, and may we learn to treasure what is truly important.  May we never forget, amid life's struggles, how richly God has blessed us.

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Questions for reflection:

• What does it really mean to be rich?
• In what ways do you think of yourself as poor?
• Why might Christ call you rich?

Notes:

1. N.T. Wright.  Revelation for Everyone.  2011, Westminster John Knox Press.  p. 16
2. Job 1:6-11
3. Wright, p. 17
4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0778237/?ref_=ttep_ep9
5. Matthew 5:3
6. Matthew 6:19-20
7. Matthew 6:10
8. 2 Corinthians 4:7
9. Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, 27-30

The photograph featured above has been released to the public domain.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Lenten Reflection: The Love You Had at First

The following is the second in a series of reflections on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

For more reflections on these letters, check out the hub page for the series.

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

The Love You Had at First

A Reflection on the Letter to the Church in Ephesus

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance.  I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false.  I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.  If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:1-7 (NRSV)

But when I stop and see you here

I remember who all this was for

From "From Now On" by Pasek and Paul

The Christians in Ephesus have a number of good qualities going for them.  Christ, in His letter to them, commends them for enduring hardship and persecution, for not putting up with wrongdoers, and for not entertaining false teachings.  That said, He still has one major grievance against them: they have lost the love they once had.  Scholar William Barclay suggests that maybe, for the Ephesians, love for neighbor has taken a backseat to doctrinal purity.¹

Christ instructs the Ephesians to remember the love they once had and to reclaim it by doing the things they did previously, and He warns them that, if they fail to do so, He will remove their lampstand.

I cannot read the letter to the church in Ephesus without thinking about Bethel United Methodist Church, which I attended for most of my life.  As I've noted in the past, I have conflicting feelings about this church.  I'm grateful that Bethel provided me a safe place to worship God after escaping the world of Christian fundamentalism, and I'm grateful that it gave me the space to cultivate my spiritual gifts.  That said, I'm also somewhat bitter that Bethel was not the vibrant church it should have been.  Though I grew up attending this church, I knew virtually nothing about my Methodist tradition until I joined a campus ministry in college, and I found myself turning to other churches for what my own church could not provide.

Bethel Methodist Church was planted by a handful of members of a large downtown church in 1895 to serve the residents of a mill village.  Bethel was a thriving congregation in its heyday, peaking at over four hundred members in the late 1950s.  Around ten years later, the mill village was demolished, and the membership of the church began to decline as the community around it changed.²

The founding of Bethel Methodist Church was an act of love - love for the God who would be worshiped in the church and love for the people who would be worshiping God there.  The founders left behind their own thriving congregation to start a new church for the sake of a particular community.  Over time, as that community changed, the people of Bethel lost the love for their neighbors that their founders had.  I would go so far as to say that there was actually a fear of the surrounding community.  In Bethel's last few years, efforts were made to reach out to the people who lived around the church.  A partnership with a local homelessness ministry was even attempted, but problems within the congregation caused the partnership to fail.

Bethel lost the love it had at first, following the destructive path of the church in Ephesus, so it's light went out.  The church closed its doors just a few years ago.

I wish I'd had the courage to say these things when they might have actually made a difference.

For followers of christ, love is priority one.  Jesus teaches that the two most important commandments in Scripture are to love God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love one's neighbor as oneself.³  Paul eloquently writes to one church,
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.⁴
Simply put, no matter what we do, if we do not do it out of love, it is all for naught.

A church must not forget why it exists.  As forementioned, Christ warns the Ephesians that, if they do not reclaim the love they once had, He will remove their lampstand.  Remember that the seven lampstands represent the seven churches.  Perhaps it could be said that a church that has lost its love has lost its light and its reason to exist.

According to N.T. Wright,
"Love", in the early Christian sense, is something you do, giving hospitality and practical help to those in need, particularly to other Christians who are poor, sick or hungry.  That was the chief mark of the early church.  No other non-ethnic group had ever behaved like this.  "Love" of this kind, reflecting (they would have said) God's own self-giving love for them, was both the best expression of, and the best advertisement for, faith in this God.⁵

Christ promises that those who conquer their lovelessness will be given the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of the tree of life.  At the end of the Book of Revelation, John is shown a vision of the Kingdom of God fully realized on the earth.  He sees the river of life that flows from the throne of God, and, on either side of the river, he sees the tree of life.  This tree produces twelve kinds of fruit throughout the year, and it's leaves are used for healing.⁶  No matter how far we have strayed from the path we're called to follow, abundant life and healing are available to us if we will only seek them.  Christ says, "Let the one who is thirsty come!  Let the one who wishes receive life-giving water as a gift."⁷

In this life, it is all too easy for us to forget why we do what we do.  We must not lose our love, because love is what matters most, but, if we have lost our love, it is not to late to reclaim it.  Love gives our lives meaning, and it heals our hearts.  It is by loving our neighbors that we show the world that we worship a God who is love itself.

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Questions for reflection:

• Think about the things you do at work, at home, or at church.  Have you ever lost sight of why you do what you do?
• How are the things you do acts of love, or how could they be acts of love?
• If we've lost the love we once had, how might we find it again?

Notes:

1. William Barclay.  The Revelation of John, Volume 1, Revised Edition.  1976, The Westminster Press.  p. 64
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20141209031619/http://scmillhills.com/mills/american-spinning/churches/
3. Mark 12:28-31
4. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
5. N.T. Wright.  Revelation for Everyone.  2011, Westminster John Knox Press.  p. 13
6. Revelation 22:1-2
7. Revelation 22:17

The photograph featured above has been released to the public domain.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.