The Mark of Your Faith

Revelation 2

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life:

 “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.” (Revelation 2)

You may be wondering how our church in Smyrna could be afflicted and poor and at the same time, be rich, as claimed by the Risen Christ. Of course, if you are a student of scripture and of the history of our faith, you surely understand how the afflicted and poor were attracted to Jesus. And, as a Christ-follower, you also surely know the spiritual blessings that come along with our faith in him. So, yes, we can be both poor and rich at the same time.

John of Patmos

Hieronymus Bosch

You may also be wondering what, exactly, was our “affliction?” The “slander” mentioned in his message may give you a clue. And I can add that the slander is quickly escalating into physical threats and even violence.

Who am I? You won’t know my name but I am a Jewish Christian, living in the city of Smyrna in what you call the second century. And I, like many of my fellow Jewish Christians, am one of the “afflicted” (and of course, poor too!).

The background of all of this is the city of Smyrna. You may be surprised to learn that this area has been inhabited for over one thousand years. Of course, it now belongs to the Roman Empire and is subject to the authority and worship of the emperor.

Our Jewish community is old, having been settled originally, hundreds of years ago. But the sacking of Jerusalem in the last century drove many more Jews to Smyrna, refugees from the disaster in Israel. I was one of those who fled from the Roman legion.

That makes me a new Christian. And you should know that in our time, there is a strained relationship between Jewish Christians and those who’ve remained in the traditional faith of our fathers. You see, in a way, we are closely related, with some of us still attending synagogue and observing Jewish feasts and holy days, like Passover. We see no reason to abandon our heritage. Even Jesus was an observant Jew, as you probably know.

But our Jewish brothers and sisters don’t always see us as related. Some of them resent us, claiming that we are nothing more than heretics who threaten the uneasy peace that they enjoy with our Roman masters. They even see us as traitors to the faith of our fathers.

I can feel their hate. And for me, that hate has become personal, as some whom I once considered friends have now turned against me. And yes, violence has erupted. In our attempts to attend the local synagogue, we have been physically barred from entry.

“We don’t want you here, you have betrayed our faith and our traditions,” they cry. “You worship a disciple of Satan, one who was demon-possessed. A fraud who violated the foundations of our faith.”

If all of this sounds familiar to you, it should. I’m sure that you remember the similar accusations which were made against Jesus. That’s the “slander” that the Risen Christ spoke of in his message to our church.

And his comment about being thrown into prison has had a chilling effect on our small fellowship. You see, some of the members of the synagogue have friends among the local magistrates. They claim that we are destroying the peace, and that some of us should be jailed as an example. In fact, of course, the opposite is true: they are the ones who threaten the peace in Smyrna, in their persecution of our small community of Christ-followers.

As one who was Jewish born, I am deeply troubled by this. I mean, I still feel Jewish and I have great respect for the Jewish faith, which is the parent faith for all Christians.

So, what are we to do? What would you advise? Those of us who are Jewish Christians do not wish to abandon the rich heritage of our faith, even as we believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of it. In fact, we feel drawn to invite our Jewish brethren to come to faith in Christ as the answer to so many ancient prophecies.

But, of course, when we reach out to our Jewish friends, inviting them to our modest house fellowship, the more strident among their members become even more inflamed against us.

The prospect of still more persecution alarms us. If it does lead, as Christ predicted, to prison, I, for one, will dutifully obey. Perhaps, in our time, the suffering that he predicted is the mark of our faith. Just as Jesus was persecuted, so must we assume that we can expect no better fate.

But I have to ask: is there any possibility for peace? Any way that we can just get along? And I wonder: will there always be contention between one faith and another? Are we destined to always find fault with one another? To object to the religion and practices of others? Is it in our nature to disparage those who don’t believe like us? I hope that, by your time, such questions will no longer matter.

It seems to me that fear is at the core of our problems here in Smyrna. Yes, fear, and I believe fear can be a powerful motivator.

You see, the Jewish community in Smyrna has worked hard to find its place, a place where they can live in peace with the larger pagan population. Because in many ways, they face the same challenges as us Christians. The pagan leadership is dutifully faithful to Rome, with its many gods and most important, with its worship of the emperor as a god. They consider Jews, with their worship of one god, to be odd, making their customs and rituals extremely suspect. As a result, any freedoms given to the Jews of Smyrna rest on the thinnest of margins.

The Jewish Christians, like me, are mostly immigrants and refugees. We are seen as a serious threat to the fragile position that the Jews have worked so hard to achieve and maintain. Their fear of losing their hard-won freedom has created the tension that makes us unwelcome in Smyrna. Yes, it’s fear that stirs them up to hate us.

But Jesus calls us to share our faith, to take it even to the ends of the earth. How can we do that when we are so vilified?

Our pastor recently read these words to us. They are from a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth.

When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day. (1 Corinthians 4)

Evidently, in Corinth, they were experiencing something like what we live with in Smyrna. And perhaps such persecution is what we must expect as followers of Christ. As I said, perhaps the persecution is the mark of our faith.

Our pastor encouraged us: “We can’t just hide in fear from those who hate us. That would be cowardice. We are called to engage with others, even to love those who hate us. We must seek to replace their fear of us with peace, the very peace of Christ. And if, as a result, we are persecuted, slandered or even imprisoned, just remember the words of the Risen Christ in his message to us: “I will give you the crown of life.”

I treasure my Jewish faith and I see my new faith in Christ as filling me with his love. So, now, in the face of persecution, slander, and possibly even imprisonment, I know that I must continue to reach out in love, even to those who reject me and my faith. Loving those who persecute us does seem to be the mark of our faith.

What about you? In your time, do you find others who fear your faith in Christ? Do you find others who reject you because of that faith, who slander you, and who even threaten imprisonment? I hope not. My hope for you is for peace. And if you do live in a time of peace, give thanks. I’m sure that you have found your own unique mark of faith.

But just the same, if you are challenged in any way because of your faith in Christ, my prayer for you is that you will stand strong in the truth that your love in the midst of suffering, is the mark of your faith.