Does anything make God sick? ∙

Does anything make God sick? ∙

So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! – Revelation 3:16

Revelation 3:15-17

 15 I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!

 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

 17 You say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

The Laodiceans boasted that they were rich and needed nothing.

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus Christ addresses seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each letter is meticulously crafted to suit its intended recipient, considering each congregation’s distinctive conditions, cultural aspects, and collective mindset. These epistles contain His personal evaluations, commendations where appropriate, critique, and instruction.

The nearby Lycus River’s water was too muddy to be potable. It was essentially undrinkable. Consequently, Laodicea’s water supply was delivered via an aqueduct, remnants of which can still be seen today. The deposits lining the pipes attest to the poor quality of the water. By the time it reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm. Moreover, due to its impurities, the water had an emetic property – it caused people to vomit.

Hieropolis, renowned for its therapeutic hot springs, and Colossae, celebrated for its pristine, cold water (Wiersbe), were located nearby. Hence, the terms “hot” and “cold” bear historical relevance that illuminates our understanding of the reproof issued by the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, this passage is misinterpreted because it is taken entirely out of its historical and geographical context. Knowing the backdrop of the local surroundings allows its meaning to be properly unpacked.

Revelation 3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

REFLECT & PRAY

Ephesians 4:30 Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Father encourage and enable us to have lives that are refreshing or helpful to others. May we be pleasing in Your sight.

INSIGHT

Laodicea was unique among the seven churches in that it received no commendation. Much like its own tepid water supply, the Laodicean church was also lukewarm. “The condemnation of Laodicea begins with a picture of almost crude vividness; because the Laodiceans are neither cold nor hot, they have about them a kind of nauseating quality, which will make the risen Christ vomit them out of his mouth” (Barclay). This analogy might seem a bit confusing to the 21st-century audience, but to the inhabitants of Laodicea, the message from the Lord Jesus Christ was crystal clear.

The Greek word, translated as spit or vomit, is emeo. Emeo literally means to spit out, vomit, or throw up. The English word emetic is derived from it and refers to a substance that induces vomiting. Spitting is frequently an act of contempt (Luke 18:32). This anthropomorphism indicates the intense disgust of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to be lukewarm?

The correct understanding of the term lukewarm is understood in light of the water supply. The water of Laodicea traveled some 6 miles from the aqueduct. It was tepid, lukewarm, and emetic when it reached the city. This is in contrast to the nearby cities of Colossae, known for its cold, crisp mountain water, and Hierapolis, which had hot springs with water often used for medicinal purposes.

The water of Laodicea was a metaphor, a perfect fit for the spiritual condition of the Laodicean church. The Greek word, which is translated as lukewarm, is chliaros. This word is only used here in the entire New Testament. Chliaros means tepid, warm, or intermediate between hot and cold.

The Lord Jesus Christ found the people’s attitudes repugnant. Their hearts were tepid, impure, proud, and arrogant. How might we characterize being lukewarm? It connotes being equally removed from two opposite extremes. In that the Lord Jesus Christ used it in a pejorative sense, it could mean middle-of-the-road, uncommitted, indifferent, lethargic, unremarkable, mundane, mediocre, unexceptional, apathetic, halfhearted, lacking zeal, paltry, or the like.

They were complacent, self-satisfied, self-sufficient, obtuse, insensitive, and lacked commitment to the Father and the word of God. They were just going through the motions spiritually. They had one foot in the world and the other in church. They had fallen for the allure of pleasures of the world. They were ambivalent, being content with their wealth and materialism. Consequently, they were obtuse, blinded to their spiritual impoverishment. The Lord Jesus Christ declared that they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Revelation 3:17).

Yet, despite their moribund, delusional condition, the Lord Jesus Christ continued to love them.

It is no coincidence that the Lord Jesus Christ calls upon them to repent. He makes a magnificent offer and promise.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Is Revelation 3:20 written as an appeal to non-believers? Does it target those who have not placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? Or is it directed towards the indifferent children of the King?

The Lord Jesus Christ invites the hearers to experience fellowship with Him. The hearers claim to be self-satisfied and in need of nothing. The reality is quite different. From the perspective of the Lord, they are deluding themselves. Morally and spiritually, they stand exposed, naked in the sight of God. Such attitudes are not limited to any particular group. They are characteristic of nonbelievers, nominal believers, and sadly lapsed, fleshly children of the King.

The church in Laodicea reflected the values of its culture: exhibiting pride, self-reliance, and a perceived lack of need for external support, even from the Father. Comparing the church in North America with churches across various other regions of the world, it’s somewhat alarming to note how the challenges faced by the Laodiceans are eerily similar to our own (Keener).

Shallow, repetitive prayer and dry devotional times are sadly commonplace in our lives. They often arise from a diminished sense of need for the Father. Our material abundance has become a source of our spiritual poverty as it did for the Laodiceans.

“If the Book of Revelation were written today, and there was a letter to the church in America, I think it would decry the fact that our materialism and wealth . . ..” (Richard Stearn).

His knock and call are a reproof and yet a loving request. Rather than being spiritually bland, as lukewarm water, we are to be soothing, restorative, and revitalizing water: either refreshingly cool or therapeutically warm.

The church at Laodicea provides ample motivation for each of us to examine our hearts.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 11-29-1

© Dr. H 2024