“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. “ Revelation 3:17
The Lord has just told His church the worst news they can hear. Their actions and service make Him sick. Now He tells them why.
For you say Immediately we sense the problem. This church is proud and is boastful in what it has done and achieved.(The word say indicates speech in progress. This is happening even as the Lord speaks to them.)
I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing The Laodicean church is proud of its riches. The word indicates abundance. This is not just worldly wealth but the word is used to describe abounding in Christian virtues and eternal possessions. The Lord should be really proud to have a church like this following Him. Second they boast of their prosperity. Everything they do produces great returns. Third, they take pride that they lack nothing. The word is an absolute – there is absolutely nothing lacking in this fellowship. This is an insight to the problem in the church. If they lack nothing, there is no need to depend on Christ for wisdom, or guidance or strength. They have their situation under control. Church attendance is full, giving is up, activities are attended by the community – all the indicatiors say this church is on fire for God. Why is Christ not pleased?
This admonition by the Lord reminds one of the parable (Luke 18) the Lord told of the two men praying in the temple. One, a Pharisee, stood in the temple and prayed – out loud and before all men. He thanked God he was not like other men. First, he listed all the things he did not do – he did not extort money from others, he was not unjust and he was surely not an adulterer. He wasn’t like the tax collector who was praying beside him either. It is easy to gain an elevated opinion of one’s self when we compare ourselves to others. Then the Pharisee began to list all the things he did for God. He fasted, twice a week (super religious) and he tithed all that he owned. Standing by the Pharisee is a tax collector. He knew how wretched he is. He cries out to God, “I am not worthy. Be merciful to me sinner”. Two ways – depend on self or on Christ.
Not realizing that you are wretched The Lord tells the Laodicean church their true state. They do not know, realize, appreciate or remember how wretched they truly are in God’s sight. Wretched means (beaten-down) from continued strain, leaving a person literally full of callouses and in deep misery. The word wretched used here is only used twice in the New Testament. Once in Romans where Paul cries out to God, “O wretched man that I am” and here
where the Lord tells the Laodiceans they are wretched. Two wretched conditions, one knows it, one doesn’t!
What can we learn? This verse should make us tremble. This is the state of the church in the days before Christ’s return – the age we live in. It does not realize its true condition. It thinks it is living for
the Lord and doing great and doing wonderful things for Him. Yet everything is done in the church’s own strength. Their pride is wretchedness in God’s sight and unless they heed the Lord’s message they won’t even recognize it until the Bema Seat.