Hear the Words
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…”
The glorified Christ appears to the Apostle John, exiled on Patmos. He comes with messages for His persecuted, first century Church; congregations of disciples scattered across the Roman empire. From the throne, three fundamental words were spoken over each congregation, appropriate to their context, life, and corporate witness: A word of Knowing affirmation, a word of Correction, and a word of Promise. These words continue to resonate with force for us today, if we will hear them.
“I know your works…”
This is the first word that Jesus speaks to his people: “I know you. I know your name. You are not invisible, to me. I see your life. I know your circumstances. I know your challenges and the choices you have made. I know your works…”
Here’s the truth: you are known by God. There is no crack, crevice, struggle or blessing; no quirk, gift, vice or virtue in you that Jesus does not see. You are known. Transparently. Completely. Your life and days and thoughts and actions are an open book to Jesus.
At first blush this probably doesn’t feel like a gift. As a broken, fumbling, all-too-often foolish, selfish, sin-riddled human being, I quietly cherish the illusion of anonymity. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that the only reason any of us feel free to walk around in public is that there is a great deal about us that remains comfortably unknown to most everybody else. And yet, for all our hiding and posturing, in our bones we know that we have been created for knowing - the intimacy of knowing and being known by another. Jesus speaks this word that simultaneously cuts through our shame and insecurity and addresses our deepest human need: “You are known.”
We are known, and we are loved; this is the first word of Christ. And the second word emerges from the first: “Those who I love”, Jesus says, “I discipline”. If the first word is affirmation, the second word is CORRECTION.
“THIS I have against you…”, Jesus says.
True love is willing to speak the hard word.
“Affirmation” is a buzzword, today. In our individualist, postmodern western culture, the assumption is that love and reproof are somehow mutually exclusive: if you love me, you will simply affirm me, full stop. You will not challenge or ask me to change in any way… This of course is a false dichotomy that scripture rejects. The love of God for his people is both a perfect, complete love, and it is a TRANSFORMING love. True love speaks the truth. And the truth in Ephesus is that their lives looked good - WERE good, in fact - on the surface, but within them what was once a burning heart of love for Christ had cooled into mere obedience.
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen (and) repent…”
The one that Christ loves, he corrects. And then, offers a word of Promise:
“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
Jesus calls his Church to endure hardships faithfully, wholeheartedly, and to do so in this promise: that just as he himself passed through unspeakable suffering to emerge in victory, vindication and glory on the other side, so too will they.
Our work together in prayer is a contending work, and resistance is promised. If we are to endure in faithfulness until the end, we must continually hear and nourish ourselves upon the fullness of the word of Christ, spoken over us in love - Knowledge, Correction and Promise - and let those words stir our hearts to burn afresh within us, for the coming of Christ and his Kingdom.
Rev. Chris Bannon
Area Coordinator North, Revive New England