The church at Laodicea: Part 3 of 5 (series: Lessons on Revelations)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The Lord Jesus lets them know that their thinking is all wrong—‘THOU SAYEST, I AM RICH’—Laodicea economically was truly a rich and prosperous city (3:14), one of the wealthiest cities in the world, and the church was also a wealthy church. But with their wealth came an attitude of self-sufficiency—feeling that they did not need a thing—they believed that the dollar was the answer to every problem of life. They were materially secure and felt spiritually safe—with no need for further growth—but unfortunately, it was poverty-stricken spiritually. The charge against this church is that these people claimed to need nothing and that their wealth is entirely due to their own efforts, yet they were poor, blind, and naked. These three assertions were direct hits at the industries of the Laodiceans: banking, medicine, and clothing. Banks cannot remove the bankruptcy of the soul. Wool cannot cover the nakedness of sin. Eye salve cannot remove the blindness toward the Gospel. Thus, to trust in the things of the world is foolish. Any church—whether in Laodicea or in your hometown—is headed for ruin when it puts “things” ahead of Jesus. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Wealth (things) at the expense of spirituality is a tragedy and a curse.

Laodicea had everything a worldly church could desire. Influential men no doubt sat on its boards; large accounts gained it prestige at the bank. Doubtless, it occupied the choices location in town, had the best choir in Asia, summoned the most brilliant and eloquent of preachers to its pulpit, boasted a considerable membership, and had a well-oiled organization. Laodicea was a fashionable, worldly church, but it was powerless. These people had absolutely no place for the Lord Jesus Christ in their program. They did not need anything He had; they were completely satisfied. They did not believe in a God of judgment. They believed what the liberals and modernists are preaching today—“the goodness of God, the Fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood of man.” They did not believe in a God who is a consuming fire, a God who is angry with the wicked every day, a God who judges in righteousness.

Imagine, if you will, the Apostle Paul being the pastor of that church and preaching to its Sunday morning crowd on one of his favorite text, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). It is pitiable when a church cannot stand together and say from their hearts, with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). We need the gift to see ourselves as our Lord sees us, and not until then will we offer praise to Him.

Had the Pharisees recognized their own blindness, they would have received Him who is the Light of the world and He would have cleansed them from their sins. But in their refusal to confess their blindness, their sin remained. According to verse 18, only Christ can actually take care of spiritual poverty, blindness, and nakedness.

The last part of this verse is bursting with prophetic truth: “. . . AND KNOWEST NOT THAT THOU ART WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED!” These people did not know their spiritual condition. They were so totally indifferent to the truth, to the Word of God, to the Gospel and to Christ Himself, that they were calloused (“their conscience seared with a hot iron”). They were past feeling, and deep down in their own sinful hearts, they thought they were sitting on top of the world religiously. In reality, they were on top of the world religiously—but spiritually they were wretched, they were miserable—and yet their blind hearts could not see nor feel their misery. They were poor, they were blind, and they were naked. What a difference between their thoughts of themselves, and the thoughts Christ had of them!

Why did I say this part of the verse is bursting with prophetic truth? In Matthew 24:37-39 we have the answer: “The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the Flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the Flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be.”

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Laodicea prided itself on three things; and each is mentioned in this verse and shown at its true value.
• It prided itself on its financial wealth. It was rich and had acquired wealth and had need of nothing—so it thought. The Risen Christ advices Laodicea to buy their gold from Him; then they would have real spiritual treasures (1 Timothy 6). They had fool’s gold in their bank accounts, gold from this world with no spiritual or eternal value. Only with Christ’s gold would they be rich. It may be that GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE stands for faith since Peter compares it to faith in 1 Peter 1:7—“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7, NIV). Wealth can do much but there are things that it can never do. It cannot buy happiness nor give a man health either of body or of mind; it cannot bring comfort in sorrow nor fellowship in loneliness. If all that a man has to meet life with is wealth, he is Poor indeed. But if a man has a faith tried and refined in the crucible of experience, there is nothing which he cannot face; and he is rich indeed.
• Laodicea prided itself on its clothing trade. The garments made there were famous all over the world, and the wool of the sheep of Laodicea was a luxury item which all men knew about. But, says the Risen Christ, Laodicea is spiritually naked; if it really wants to be clothed it must come to Him. The Risen Christ speaks of “the shame of the nakedness of Laodicea.”
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• Laodicea prides itself on the magnificent garments it produces but spiritually it is naked and nakedness is shame. The Risen Christ urges it to buy white raiment from Him. This may well stand for the beauties of life and character which only the grace of Christ can give. There is little point in a man adorning his body, if he has nothing to adorn his soul. Not all the clothes in the world will beautify a person whose nature is twisted and whose character is ugly. ‘WHITE RAIMENT,’ a symbol of purity and righteousness (Revelation 19:7-8), would be in contrast to the raven-black woolen clothes the Laodiceans probably wore every day.
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• Laodicea prided itself on its famous eye salve, but the facts of the case show that it was blind to its own poverty and nakedness. The phrase ‘ANOINT THINE EYES WITH EYESALVE’ is an obvious allusion to the eye salve produced by the Laodicean Medical Center and medical school, with the application that the Laodiceans needed spiritual eye salve so they could see spiritually (v. 14). Laodicea was so conscious of its medical skill in the care of the eyes that it never realized that it was spiritually blind. Christ told them to get salve from Him to heal their eyes so they could see the truth—“Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind’” (John 9:39, N IV). Unless our eyes are opened by the Lord, we cannot discern spiritual matters. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV)

Note, that all three industries for which Laodicea was well-known are included in Jesus’ condemnation; clothing, banking, and eye medicine.

Having read this far, someone might ask “How can a wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked people buy anything? Can salvation be purchased? Our Lord was using language apropos to these merchandising-minded men. He would have them turn from the salesman who peddled the wares of this world to the One who said, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1, NIV). Buying “WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT COST” is indeed, evidence of grace. Dealing with Christ is within the reach of the poorest. As a matter of fact, the deeper the need the better the chance of consummating the purchase. Is there anything in all the world more wonderful than this? You’re right to come and buy without money is your recognition of your own deep need and poverty. Christ is appealing to the church as He sees her, not as she thinks she is. In effect, He says, “If you are conscious of your poverty, I have riches for you.” (The riches of Christ are unknowable and inexhaustible.) How graciously He offers to provide for their need!