Revelation 3:7-13 – Everyone Thinks They’re from Philly

After all those odd-sounding church names, it’s nice to come to one that sounds familiar. This is the original Philadelphia, of course, and not the one at the other end of Pennsylvania. This letter is unique among the seven that Jesus told John to write. Each of the other letters includes a rebuke or a call for repentance. There’s something going on at the church which Jesus wants to change. But when it comes to Philadelphia, there are no harsh words. This is the only church which receives only praise and a promise, with no warning or correction attached to it.

We can learn three things about the Philadelphians from this letter. First, they were weak and suffering. Second, others were attacking them. And third, God approved of them and gave them a promise of blessing. It’s easy for us to put ourselves in the shoes of the Philadelphians. Too easy, in fact. We want to claim Jesus’ description of them for ourselves.
1. We are weak and helpless.
2. Other people are hurting us.
3. God approves of us.
There are times, of course, when we are Philadelphians. But there are many times when we’re not and we think that we are.

Philadelphia was not the only church that was facing persecution. Smyrna and Thyatira had deceptive leaders. Christians in Pergamum and Smyrna were put to death for their faith. But there was something different about Philadelphia. Facing persecution doesn’t exempt us from judgment or correction. It’s not an excuse to be able to get away with things that you shouldn’t. At times we try to use this excuse in our daily lives. I was mean to the clerk because work went bad today. It’s OK for me to get drunk because I got bad news today. But the message to the Philadelphians is not that persecution or hard times are an excuse to waffle in our holy living for God. In fact, as the rest of Revelation demonstrates, it’s during these difficult times that our faith matters most of all.

If we claim too quickly to be Philadelphians, not only will we be tempted to short-change the claims that discipleship makes upon our lives, but we will use it as an excuse for ignoring our own responsibilities. Yes, the Philadelphians were weak and relatively helpless, and were surrounded by strong opposition. It would have been easy for them to say something like “Well, God can’t really expect us to do much in this kind of an atmosphere. The best we can do is just hold on and try to endure.” They could have tried to convince themselves that they were like the seeds scattered among the thorns. If they survived, that was good enough. No one would expect them to produce a crop. But the challenging news is that God doesn’t give us a pass just because things are tough. In fact, it is during the difficult times in our lives that our faith moves us along the most strongly. This is a prevalent theme in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.

There’s another danger to thinking to quickly that we’re Philadelphians. We notice the wrongs that other are perpetrating, but we ignore what we ourselves may be in error over. An overly developed sense of victimization tends to ignore any responsibility that we may have for ourselves and what we do. “How could anyone blame me for what I did, in such a horrible situation?” Or, “You should be worried about what that other person is doing. It’s far worse than anything I did!” While others may be guilty of worse things, we are still responsible for what we do.

One more danger about thinking that you’re a Philadelphian: you may buy into the lie that you’re helpless. When we think we are weak and incapable, we fail to live up to the plans that God has for us in our lives. There’s something very appealing to our earthly nature to go curl up in a corner and lick our wounds when things are difficult. And it’s easy for us to compare ourselves to others who seem so powerful and influential in comparison to us, and assume that there’s nothing we can do. But that’s not the call that God has for us in our lives. Remember the widow in the temple that Jesus and his disciples saw at the end of Mark 12. She was oppressed and had a very difficult life. And compared with the other people who could give so much to the temple, she had practically nothing. We can try to excuse ourselves from faithfulness with all sorts of statements:
• We’re just a little struggling church. We can’t do much to reach out to our community.
• I’m living on a fixed income (or, I’m just a student). I don’t have much to give. Other people should do it instead.
• I don’t have the training to do much of anything helpful.
• I’m a new Christian. Or, I don’t know my Bible very well. Someone else would be better than me to talk about faith.

To review: we’re not always as oppressed and powerless as we think that we are. And when we think that we are (either rightly or wrongly) we may use it as an excuse to fudge on our faithfulness to God, we may overlook our own faults and the problems we cause others, and we think that we are too weak to do anything. All of these are errors to avoid. And it appears that the Philadelphians were able to do so. And that’s why God was able to praise them without any reservations.

With all these qualifications and caveats, it is good to read Jesus’ message for the Philadelphians. It’s a message for us when the world is crashing down on us: when our resources are drained, when the challenges we face overwhelm us, when people around us are attacking us. The good news is that none of these things affect God’s care for us. Nothing we experience can beat down the power, the assurance, the care, and the plan that God has for us. In the times when we’re beaten down, overwhelmed, or overpowered, it’s good to hear that news. God will not let anything interfere with his plan for you. He is in control. As Jesus told the Philadelphians, no one can close the door that God opens for us.

Those who appear to be so powerful, to be in control, to be calling the shots, can’t do a thing about it. God will not just unravel their dastardly plans so that his will succeed. He will make them a part of those plans! The time will come that they will acknowledge God’s power and goodness. And in the process, they will be reconciled with us and acknowledge a healthy relationship with us. The way Jesus describes it, it sure sounds like the reconciliation that happened between Joseph and his brothers. They did everything but kill him (and were seriously considering doing that), but the time came that they honored him and recognized his role in God’s designs for them all.

It’s easy to be disheartened, at times when it seems that everything is stacking against you. We can be tempted to think that the powers of darkness and despair are going to win, and that God’s plans will translate into nothing more than good intentions. (That, by the way, is ultimately the answer that Rabbi Kushner offers in his best seller “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”). We may think that God really cares for us, but when it really comes down to it, we need to be practical. We have to take care of ourselves. And if we can’t, well, we’re screwed.

Jesus’ message to the Philadelphians is that this version of practicality is poppycock. The most practical thing in the world is to hold onto God’s goodness and promise, despite whatever trials we’re undergoing. It may be scary, because it goes against every common-sense bone in our body. But God’s care for us is not restricted by common sense.

Jesus offers a message of real power and support. If you maintain your faith in the midst of the harsh realities of a difficult world, you’ll become a pillar in his temple. By the way, First Peter also talks about becoming part of God’s temple. This promise was offered after the “real” temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. That was the quintessential catastrophe for Jews, and Jewish Christians. It looked like dastardly powers like the Roman Empire could do whatever they want. The assurance is that something even more powerful and profound is on the way, and that there’s nothing they can do to stop it. When Jesus returns, the faithful will be marked with God’s name, and they will become part of the new holy city.