Tuesday, 11/18/14
Our first readings this week are from the Book of Revelation
which consists of a variety of visions of the Apostle John. Today’s reading
comes from a section that deals with the seven angels, or bishops, of Turkey’s
peninsula. A series of visions has revealed to John the spiritual condition of
those seven bishops.
We have no record as to whether or not those bishops took John’s
warning to heart, reforming their lives. But their different spiritual
conditions are put in the Bible in the hope that if we have the same faults we
would reform out lives.
So, first, John warned the bishop of Sardis, telling him
that although he appeared to be alive spiritually, he was nearly dead. As well,
that bishop of Sardis had been involved in kinds of work that were not
acceptable to God. John urged the bishop to stir up the last bit of life in his
soul before death visited him like
thief in the night. If you share the failings of the bishop of Sardis,
then you should stir up the last bit of life in your soul before death comes to
you like a thief in the night.
Speaking to the bishop of Laodicea, John noted that the
bishop was fond of saying, “I am rich, and have no need for anything.” Is that
like something you might say? It does sound like me. You should wonder about
how God sees your life. If it is a very comfortable blend of good and bad
behavior it might be similar to that of the bishop of Laodicea. John spoke of
such a life as being like a drink that one expected to be quite cold or quite
hot, but which is discovered to be a blah lukewarm. God might spit out someone who
was merely lukewarm.
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