The Message to Thyatira
Revelation 2:18-29
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19 “I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule them with an iron rod,
as when clay pots are shattered—
28 even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The church in Thyatira was a place where love was lived out in action and people served one another, love and service were growing in the life of the church. But the church in Thyatira faced a deep challenge. A false teacher (who Jesus calls Jezebel, almost certainly not an actual name) was teaching that sexual immorality was okay and that participating in the worship of idols was a good thing. Jesus had given opportunity for Jezebel to change her ways and teaching (vs. 21), but Jezebel had refused to do so, therefore punishment was coming to Jezebel and Jezebel’s followers.
We need to be careful to not read too much into the pieces we have here. But it appears that some people in the church in Thyatira had been drawn in by a teacher’s personality and teaching, and because other people, people who were respected were also following this preacher. Jezebel exercised an authority, which the Jesus whose eyes were like flames of fire was calling into question.
A promise was given to those who stayed committed to Jesus and Jesus’ teaching, they will be given an authority that comes from God himself, an authority given to Jesus and now passed on to those who follow Jesus.
The church continues to struggle with the balance between right belief and right action. Thyatira was a church that was loving and caring, but immorality and idol worship were being taught – right action but wrong belief. At other times we know of congregations where the right things are believed but there is no love and care. The right belief in these cases does not lead to care and love for others. The Jesus way is for the two to go together, right teaching is to be lived our in loving action. Compassionate care is to be supported by right teaching.
PRAYER:
Lord God, teach as congregations and as individual followers of Jesus to be people who live the Jesus way in our actions and in our teaching, in our caring and in our believing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.