Having dictated His message to the church at Ephesus, Jesus now directed the apostle John write to the church at Smyrna. Smyrna was located 40 miles (64 km) north of Ephesus, in what is now western Turkey. This church was known for suffering terrible persecution and poverty as a result of their deep faith in Christ.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the slander by those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:8-10 (NASB)
Christian believers at Smyrna were victims of extreme tribulation for their refusal to worship Caesar. They also experienced limited work opportunities, leading to material poverty. Because of their steadfast faith in Christ, some would be thrown into prison. But Jesus knew of their suffering, and encouraged them that it would only last for a limited amount of time.
Persecutors in Smyrna might have believed that they were serving God by punishing the Christians for their perceived heresies. Jesus explains that these individuals have been misled to pursue the deeds of Satan rather than guided by the true will of God.
All Christians will experience some form of tribulation as they seek to shine the light of Christ into a resistant world. There is a wide spectrum of suffering we might experience as a result – for some people and churches, it is relatively mild rejection. For others, such as those in the church at Smyrna, persecution can be quite severe, even to the point of material poverty, prison, or death.
When we suffer.
When Christians experience suffering, it is very natural for people to want to blame God, as He did permit it to happen. I think any one of us might be tempted to react this same way.
The scripture passage to Smyrna reinforces our belief that the Lord knows our suffering. He loves us deeply and feels our hurt and grief. Suffering is the last thing in the world that He would wish for us to experience, yet so often, in this world of sin, we do.
Suffering comes to us in many ways. It may be the result of a traumatic loss, a personal attack, sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, being victimized by a crime, suffering a physical or mental illness, experiencing an injury, or carrying trauma in our core because of the way that people spoke to or treated us in the past.
We may wonder in our heart why the Lord permitted us to go through these things. Too often, when people have such horrible experiences, they turn their backs on God. This, then, becomes a double tragedy – the original hurt is now compounded by the loss of the most precious thing we could possibly have in life – an intimate, loving, and healing relationship with a gracious God.
Jesus knows our suffering. Whenever we are tempted to abandon Him, He wants us to approach Him about it. He is a big God and can take it as we pour out our hearts and hurts to Him, spelling out every detail of our suffering.
Like Jacob in the book of Genesis, we can wrestle with God about the negative things that have happened in our lives. Face to face with Jesus, we may unload all of our hurts and resentments, grabbing hold of Him as we express our deepest feelings, emotions, and confusion in our heart.
If we do this, with a foundation of reverence and faith, Jesus will gift us with tremendous peace. In His presence, we know, trust, and accept in our core that He has our very best interests in mind. He holds everything in His loving hands, and in His power, will work everything out that we may again know the truth of His tremendous healing love for us.
Reflection
As the prophet Isaiah wrote 700 years before the birth of Christ about our coming Messiah, Jesus:
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
Jesus knows our suffering. He voluntarily experienced suffering and death on a cross in our place, then rose from the dead to permit all believers to enter into His eternal kingdom.
What do we need to take to God today, wrestling with Him in prayer, enabling Him to comfort us and to speak love and assurance into our souls?
Lord, we bring to You all of our hurts, habits, griefs, pains, resentments, and unforgiveness – anything that stands between us and weakens our relationship. We desire to walk in Your light and love, forgiven and strong, assured of Christ’s great love for me and for those around me. May You be blessed and glorified, today and every day. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord today.
Times and Seasons - The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY 