September 21, 2020.
Good afternoon,
Letter to Philadelphia Revelation 3: 7-13
The city of Brotherly Love ( from the Greek translation ). The city has a few columns left from an early cathedral. Today, there is a great bookstore with books about the seven churches of Revelation. It is now a bustling modern Turkish city.
Jesus is here as, ” holy and true, and holds the key of David” . Each city is given a different attribute for Jesus. We might think that there are some standard definitions to Jesus and his ministry, but here John gives to a diverse number of ideas about who Jesus is. Each community was different. Just, as each of our communities are different today.
” I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown ” (3:11). There are people who have kept the name of Jesus, but also there are people of the synagogue of Satan. But for the most part this community has waited patiently and endured with faith. Jesus is coming soon. The community was suffering under Roman rule, and they wanted Jesus to return. It could not be soon enough. Many times in the history of the church, we have said that Jesus is coming soon, and it has not yet happened. We are waiting, and we want to be faithful. There is the beautiful imagery of God coming through the clouds to release the community from its pain. Do we just look up and wait, or do we continue to act in the ways of Jesus of Nazareth ?
Prayer
God
,Come quickly
Come now
Come tomorrow
yet today
Help us in the meantime,
To be faithful
to be called to be like your Jesus.
To be your eyes and ears of the world.
We have ears and we are trying to listen.
Come quickly. AMEN
Fred