If Jesus Wrote You A Letter
“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen...” - Revelation 2:2-5a
I still have some of my report cards from primary, intermediate, and secondary school. I’ll leave you to guess the tenor of these - but suffice it to say, there was usually at least one aspect of each class’s work in which the teacher felt I could/should do better.
In Revelation 2-3, John records Jesus’ letters to seven churches spread throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkiye). They read a little like school reports! In the case of Ephesus (above), there were clear strengths and weaknesses in the church. On the one hand, they were evidently a diligent, hard-working community who held tightly to orthodox truth, and had no time for heresy and those who peddled it. They even held fast under pressure and persecution, and did not compromise their convictions. Good stuff, Ephesus! But…
Jesus then levelled a serious charge against them. They may have been dogmatic and zealous for truth, but they appear to have forsaken either their love for Jesus, their love for the lost, or their love for one another. The Greek word translated as “love” here is agape - the self-sacrificing, service-oriented love that places the needs of others ahead of one’s own. And Ephesus had run dry.
As I’ve been reading these letters in recent days, I’ve found myself wondering what Jesus might say if He wrote me a similar letter. I’ve been pondering what aspects of my relationship with Him and my discipleship journey would be commended. And if He were to write, “Yet I hold this against you”, what might come next?
A little self-evaluation is a healthy thing. I encourage you to spend some time pondering these two questions: if Jesus wrote you a letter, what might He commend, and how might He challenge you? Then, once you’ve sat with those for a short while, land here: the steadfast love of Your God never ceases and His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, for great is His faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:22-23). While I do believe God encourages us to self-evaluate, I also know He doesn’t want us to camp-out in conviction long enough for the devil to turn it into condemnation!
- Ps. Nigel
