December 7, 2017

I Know Your Works

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty, but you are rich; and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” Rev. 2:9

The Lord was direct in His commending the church.  He stated, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty, but you are rich; and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”  As mentioned above, the church underwent great persecution and suffering because of its faith.  Jesus mentioned three things:

·         Works;

·         Tribulation; and,

·         Poverty.

The church was a hard working church.  It experienced trials and suffering.  And, by all appearances, it seemed poor.  Certainly the church stood in stark contrast to the wealth of the city.  Yet, a loving kind Savior did not stop there, for He said, “but you are rich.”  What a wonderful pronouncement!  The church may have been lacking in the natural, but in the spiritual realm, Jesus saw the church at Smyrna as most wealthy.

It is important to explore further to understand why Jesus would bestow such a blessing upon this church.  Was it because it was small?  Was it because the finances were few?  Was it because of the persecution?  The answers are all the same: no.  For there are certainly small churches, churches without much financial resource, and churches that experience trials.  These characteristics in themselves do not qualify a church as spiritually rich.  So what is the key?  The church at Smyrna was considered rich by Jesus because it understood for whom it existed.  The church existed for Christ.  It exalted Him as the Head of the church.  It kept its eye upon Him.  As such, the church was able to endure, a quality admired by the Lord.  In 2 Cor. 6:1-10, Paul makes an impassioned plea to the people of Corinth, as he explains the ministry of Christ.  He writes: “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.  But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report, and good report, as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown and yet well known, as dying, and behold we live, as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”