On the surface, Laodicea was an extremely prosperous city that had a lot going for it. It was situated right on a main trade route. It was home to a number of lucrative industries. It boasted of technological advancements, advanced healthcare, and banking institutions. In other words, Laodicea was affluent and self-sufficient. In fact, when the city was hit with a massive earthquake in AD 60, they refused aid from Rome. The city pulled together and rebuilt on its own. In short: Laodiceans “needed nothing” from nobody! He calls this church “lukewarm” – neither hot nor cold – and tells them he is about to spit them out of his mouth. Hot water is useful; it cooks food, kills bacteria, warms us on a chilly fall day. Likewise, cold water is also useful; it cools and refreshes us after a hard day’s work. But room temperature water that is neither hot nor cold is effectively useless. And that’s Jesus’ message to these self-important Laodiceans. All of their wealth and status and plucky self-determination – the things that make them appear useful in their own eyes – are actually useless to Jesus. Those who are “useful” to Jesus are those who realize they need saving, those who see the truth that they are actually “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” before God. Hear what the Spirit says in Revelation 3:14–22.
