7th City Laodicea

Revelation’s “Diamond Word” for Laodicea –“Listen to what the Spirit is saying” (Rev. 3:22)

When I served as a young parish priest in Montmartre (Paris) in the mid-sixties, five teen-age gangs, constantly warring with one another, plagued the neighborhood. The city of Paris hired a young priest, Jean Claude Barreau, as chaplain for these young “blouson noirs” (“black jackets”)

Equipped with a BMW 750 and 4 other young men ( his “angels,”) he won the boys’ confidence and trust. Property damage fell to almost nothing. The people of Montmartre felt safe to go out at night.

Jean-Claude started talking to the boys about Jesus. Their favorite text was Jesus’ telling the people of Laodicea, “I wish you were hot or cold; but because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth”(Rev. 3:16). “Quel mec!” they said. “What a guy!” or “This Jesus dude has cojones!”

Why were the Laodiceans so lukewarm? Why were they like teen-age boys world-wide whose answer to everything is a shoulder shrug and a laconic, “Whatever”?

Was it the water? The city was plagued with tepid water, flowing though aqueducts from sources five miles away. Don’t’ blame it on the water!

Famous for its designer clothing (tunics and hooded cloaks) and its great medical school, self-absorbed, prosperous Laodicea never listened to anybody. When the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 CE, they refused imperial aid. “We can do it ourselves” reigned as their motto.

After a while, self-sufficient people grow bored -- and boring. Jesus’ “repentance” Word rang out to these first-century “whatever” Christians: “Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev. 3:22). “I’m knocking at the door,” he had said, “listen, and open the door.” (Rev. 3:20).

Remember the boy Samuel in the Temple who heard someone call his name at night (I Samuel 3:9-10)?

When I wake up every morning, the door to my brain and heart is closed, but Jesus is knocking. I try to open that door and listen to what Jesus has to say to me today. All it takes is what Samuel said: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”