- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
The Smyrna Letter.
By G.Campbell Morgan
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write” (Rev. 2 v8-11).
The Master addressing the church, speaks of Himself as “The First and the Last, who died and came to life again”. These words are a repetition of those which He had addressed to John when, in the presence of His glory, he had become as one dead. This church is in the midst of great sorrow and the Lord announces Himself as the living One Who has passed through death and therefore possesses the keys of death and of Hades. In approaching a people dwelling in the shadow of death, some of their number having already suffered martyrdom, others of them most certainly approaching the place of death through their loyalty to Him, He reminds them that He is Master of these darker matters also and holds in His own hand the keys. The description is intended for the consolation of the afflicted people, and indeed out of this description by which our Lord introduces Himself to their notice, flows all the comfort that follows. They are in the midst of sorrow, and He first declares to them that He has been to the uttermost reach of it and is alive again. They are under the shadow of death and He tells them that He has been dead, and is alive for evermore. They are almost certainly in the midst of those perplexities and questionings which come to us when surrounded by sorrow. He tells them that He is now alive and that He holds the keys of death and of Hades, the symbols of authority. He has unlocked the problem and is now Master of the situation.
The Master's method in commending this church at Smyrna is remarkable. He offers them no solution to the problem of their pain, and it may be added that the commendation is contained in silence. His approval of this church is manifest not so much by what He said as by the fact that He had no complaint to make concerning them. Added to the silence there is one brief phrase of four words only, “Yet you are rich". Here as ever, the value of the statement depends upon the fact that it was Christ who uttered it. We shall only be able to understand the silence of Jesus and this ‘commendation’ by a careful examination of the surroundings. Let us endeavour to see it as He reveals it.
Of it He says, “I know” three things.
First “I know your afflictions”. This is a strong word not very often made use of. It signifies a pressure of persecution. Jesus did not say ‘I know your trials, the occasional testings of faith, those experiences which are common to all the saints’. The Master used it suggesting the pressure of the stone that grinds the wheat or that squeezes the juice out of grapes. These people were being pressed even to death on account of their loyalty to Christ, and as He looks at the church He says in tones of infinite tenderness, “I know your afflictions”.
Then “I know your poverty”. The word indicates beggary. It has no reference to poverty of spirit. In all probability these people had suffered the loss of everything in the persecution that had broken out against them. Loss of trade, loss of social position, loss of the bare necessities of life, “I know your poverty”.
And once more, “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan”. The Master reveals His intimate knowledge of the causes from which all the trouble has proceeded. In all probability the vilifying of the church by the synagogue had resulted the beggary of the little band of Christians by the pagans of Smyrna. The members of the Jewish synagogue, hating the Christian disciples, would publish lies concerning them, as to their character, their purpose and their way of life. The stories told had aroused the pagan population and in all likelihood there had followed the confiscation of their goods which had reduced them to poverty. But before beginning to speak to them He reminded them of His own experience and declared that He, having passed through it, had found it the gate of life
He says, “I know", and the force of the word is not merely that He knows by watching, but by His own experience. I know for I have experienced the pain of vilification, the want of poverty and the final suffering, and because of this He could comfort them.
Now let us mark the commendation. First the silence, and what can be said concerning silence. It is more eloquent than all language. He has no word of complaint. The character and conduct of the church at Smyrna was such as to perfectly satisfy the heart of the Lord. We should remember that tribulation, poverty and reviling make more terrible demands than any other circumstances upon the spirit of those passing through it. There is no more profound proof of grace of character than that of being able to suffer wrongfully and yet to manifest a gracious spirit. How often have we all fallen at that very point. Christ watched these saints at Smyrna, persecuted, beggared, vilified, and yet had no fault to find with them. Their spirit under tribulation was such as to satisfy the heart of Christ. The finer graces of the Christian character are only revealed under bruising and pressure, as the fragrance of fine spices is only obtained through crushing.
So with these loved ones in Smyrna, though under press and conflict, He found nothing to condemn, and in the silence there lies the highest praise. Of such value is this teaching that I pause to make a passing application. Some child of God, near overwhelmed with great and crushing sorrows is longing for the sound of His voice, and there is nothing but silence. That silence is not a sign of disapproval but of approval. Do not be cast down. If in the midst of tribulation and suffering there is no voice, it may be that the silence of the Lord is His highest commendation. So do not be surprised if you have no vision. Not a word of commendation did He speak to the church in Smyrna, but a great silence as they passed through the fire proved His approval of the rightness of their spirit.
“But you are rich.” It is as though He bent over them and whispered the great truth. ‘Smyrna counts you poor. I count you rich. The slander of the Jews and the persecution of pagans have robbed you of everything, but you have lost nothing. I know the pinch of poverty, I know the pain, yet I never lost the riches of spiritual wealth. While I was a Man upon earth, I was a beggar, and yet My Father was with Me. "I know your poverty, but you are rich”.
"Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith” (James 2 v5). This is what the Master meant, “I know your poverty”, you are poor in the world. They have taken everything from you, but you are rich in faith.
Be faithful, believe still. Don't question Me, don’t doubt Me, depend on Me. He did not advise them to be determined that they would see the business through, that is ever a poor way of attempting to pass through times of testing. He meant, trust Me, let Me be your courage. I am alive, and I was dead. I have gone to the limit in this. There is no depth I have not fathomed, no darkness I have not penetrated. Be faithful, follow Me, not in self effort, but with the ease of simple trust.
Outward adversity of a church or a people or a person is not proof of poverty or weakness. It is not always the financially wealthy church that is the rich church. How often it has been that some struggling company of believers, fighting with poverty, contending for very existence, has been the truly blessed church. Wherever the Church passes through tribulation, He stands and says, “I know”. Let us rejoice in His assertion that He holds the keys of all the things that most frighten us and of the last foe, death. The keys in His right hand are symbols of solution and authority. As we enter the valley of the shadow, He approaches, holding these keys and says, "Fear not", I have unlocked the problem. I have solved it, I have been into the deepest darkness and I know it. I have not borrowed these keys, they belong to Me.
Oh, suffering saints, and all who approach the shadow-land, fear not! Trust Him utterly, be faithful even unto death and through the dark chambers of death He will lead you to light. We may sing with the Psalmist, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me". He has probed the shadow and the pain. Let Him lead on, even through tribulation and through death, to Life and the Crown that lie ahead.
From : ‘The Letters of the Lord’.
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