I’m working on my garden. I’ve prepared the seedlings to put in the ground after the last freeze. They are healthy with the potential of productive fruit. I am half way there to a garden to be proud of. But there is more work ahead, to keep out that which will spoil things—weeds.
Tip 2: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
That is the question facing Thyatira in Rev. 2:19-27, one of the seven churches in Asia, Christ evaluated. There were weeds in Thyatira’s garden.
As we march toward Easter, we continue our Lenten Church Series: Lent—it’s not what you give up, but what you gain. Last week, we saw that of the seven churches graded at midterm, Thyatira kept growing in Christian virtues that make you the Church Christ is looking for. But there is more to growing an acceptable church than what needs to be in the garden—wheat—virtuous fruit of behavior. You also need to consider what needs to go. Second, keep out the compromise that can keep you from being the Church Christ is looking for. Thyatira let compromise, like a poisonous weed, invade their garden. We see that in verses 20 and 21:
20 'But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 'And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Revelation 2:20-21
That weed was a woman within the church—like Jezebel—who influenced the church to compromise. Here is some important background.
She was not the first Jezebel, but very much like the first. Jezebel-1 is found in 1King 16. Her name “Jezebel” means “pure” or “chaste”, but she was far from it. A foreigner, she married weak King Ahab of Israel, persuaded him to introduce the worship of Baal to Israel. She had a man killed to take his garden and give it to Ahab. She had most of God’s prophets killed at her command. She was a bad weed.
So was the second Jezebel of Thyatira. It is believed this woman, not her real name, was an influential business woman. She promoted membership in trade guilds—unions if you will—that Thyatira was known for. The problem was that these guilds participated in pagan rituals and sexual immorality as part of their meetings. The dilemma then, was this: be a faithful Christian or be a successful business man and a participant in the immorality of the guilds to do business. To put it in a more graphic picture: Jezebel encouraged the deacons to meet at the strip club to conduct business. To make a living you had to “make it rain”. Get the picture.
It is believed that this pro-guild Jezebel was none other than Lydia of Philippi fame—a founding member of that church—who was a very successful dealer of purple cloth and dyes that Thyatira was also known for. She moved back to Thyatira from Philippi and moved her business ethics into the church culture. Make a buck by any means necessary. She exerted her business influence on the church to compromise holiness for a healthy profit and loss on a spread sheet.
Despite given opportunity to repent, she would relent in her mafia-like immoral influence on the church. For that, Christ’s laser-fire eyes would not turn a blinded eye to this Jezebel’s poisonous practices and all who followed her. Judgment will be harsh according to verses 22 to 23: sickness, suffering, even to the next generation.
22 'Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 'And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:22-23
Like the first Jezebel who had her day when she fell from a tower and dogs ate her remains, Thyatira’s woman will have her day. She and all those hiding in her weeds will reap what they sow.
Church, many a compromise in the church has roots in free enterprise where “free” means free to behave like the world for the “money, money, money, money, dollar ‘y’all.” God has called the church “to be ye holy as I am holy according to 1Peter 1:15-17, not be ye profitable as I am profitable.
Look within. Address your compromises. It may not be profit. It might be pride, or passion or poker. Whatever it is, repent. Weed it out. The cost is too high for the loss of holiness. Weeds will choke a garden.
Tip 2b: If it comes out of the ground not so easily—warning--it is a weed.
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