The First and the Last

To the Church in Smyrna
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.~ Revelations 2:8-11

What The Lord has to say to the church in Smyrna is pretty succinct.
I know you are suffering and poor, but the spiritual reality is that you are rich.
Worse suffering is coming but hang on, even if that means death. The reward you will receive is far, far greater.

I don't think this in itself needs expounding.

I am reminded, regardless of what is coming for us, personally or in the unfolding of world events, that Jesus was clear from the start.
I don't know where all of you are at, or what phase life is taking you through, blessed with peace or with challenges, but Jesus assured us all;
In this world you will have trouble.

It's a simple fact.

The murder of Jo Cox has touched me deeply as I am sure it has some of you, and it reminds me of the kind of world we live in, particularly in the West.

She was a successful middle class woman, enjoying a certain amount of affluence. But she was not a selfish individual (let me side step the theological for a moment). She represents in many ways, the best of humanity. She was outward looking and generous tirelessly working on behalf of her community and in particular the disenfranchised, the refugees and the vulnerable.
And in the middle of that she got tragically caught up in the most ugly expression of the human experience.

In the midst of life we are in death. We all are.

This world is a screwed up world where war forces families to flee, and fear stops some from extending help to them. The kind of world where sometimes a 'good' life can be brought to a senseless and brutal end. A world where children from Syria or from Yorkshire can be orphaned in a heart beat.

Yeah. In this world, follower of Christ or not, you will have trouble.

But as this letter to the Smyrna church starts, these words, these encouragements to face trouble with confidence of a glorious final outcome, are spoken by him who is the first and last. The words of the one who died already, but came to life again. He knows the beginning from the end.
If we had known the outcome more often, aren't there many occasions where our performance might have been more vigorous and determined.

But we do know the final outcome. Those who trust in him are victorious over the second death.
Hallelujah.
So in this life, it is far better to hang on to your principles and integrity, in the way a certain Yorkshire MP seemed to. Better to go down fighting than to flee from trouble and find yourself with nothing worth saving.

Yes in this world, perhaps even this week, you will have trouble.

But be of good cheer, says Jesus. I have overcome the world.

Amen.