NOTES for Rev 3:14-22

The promises to those who complete the Christian way go far beyond traditional ideas about posthumous reward: the point is not paradise, but the Throne of glory, which Jesus is ready to share with those who remain faithful to Him. But walking the way and keeping faithfulness is not so easy, and Jesus' address to the church of Laodicea bears witness to this. Moreover, it turns out that the most terrible trial is not persecution and not deprivation, but the indifference described by the Savior's words, "you are neither cold nor hot."

It would seem that a person who does nothing bad should by that fact already be good to some degree, at least compared with someone who does evil. But it turns out that everything is not so simple. Indeed, what does it mean to be, conventionally speaking, "good like everyone else"? In essence, it actually means being "nothing in particular like everyone else." Of course, from the point of view of the law and even of commonly accepted social morality, being "like everyone else" is good.

It is entirely acceptable, and society and the state normally do not demand more from a person. Well, perhaps except in special, extreme situations when something extraordinary is required for the salvation of that same society and state. But for the Kingdom, "like everyone else" is not enough. And not even because "everyone else" is capable of good things, sometimes rarely even very good things, and, much more often, bad and even very bad things.

Rather, it is because in spiritual terms "like everyone else" in practice means precisely "not at all." In spiritual terms, "somehow" means a conscious choice, even if the one choosing chooses evil. Choice is always a moment of awareness and therefore a moment of truth, although the measure of awareness and of the fullness of truth can vary. But "like everyone else," "not at all," wherever things happen to carry one: this is the absence of choice. An unwillingness to choose. And therefore an unwillingness to become aware.

Even if a person consciously chooses evil, not in the sense of some ideal aspiration toward "pure evil," but in the sense that he understands what he is choosing, he still makes his choice and therefore lives at least somewhat consciously. But if the same person does nothing bad simply because he is "like everyone else," and "everyone else" at the moment is not doing anything especially bad, he chooses nothing, and therefore understands nothing, existing, so to speak, on autopilot. Such automatism and the spiritual path, especially the spiritual path of a Christian, are incompatible. That is why it is better to be cold, if being hot does not work, as long as one does not remain nothing in particular. For being nothing in particular is a direct path to nowhere.

At first glance, these words are excessively harsh: the Lord, in essence, completely rejects an entire community. And the reason for this rejection is a sin that, it would seem, leads to no especially terrible consequences: the issue is indifference, those who are called "lukewarm," who perhaps would not mind doing something for the church, or for a neighbor, or at least for deepening their own spiritual life, but whose desire for action is too weak to be realized. And the person, as people usually say, "basically not bad," remains inactive, having done nothing good. It would seem that such a person does nothing bad either. Everything is indifferent to him: both good and evil. Often such indifference is connected with self-satisfaction, which gives rise to a feeling of one's own wealth, not necessarily material wealth. And yet such "harmless" self-satisfied indifference received from the Savior's mouth the harshest assessment. The issue, as can be seen, is not only that, as people sometimes say, on the day of Judgment each of us will be asked not only about the evil we did, but also about the good we did not do though we could have done it. The issue is also that self-satisfied indifference completely paralyzes the will, taking from a person the spiritual strength that allows him to make a vital choice, including the choice between good and evil. And such paralysis, in turn, effectively deprives the indifferent person of the possibility of living a spiritual life.

It would seem that there are sins far more terrible than lack of will. But any sin, even the most terrible, presupposes choice, resolve, and action, behind which will necessarily stands, often a very strong will, which can always also be used for works of righteousness if only it is directed correctly. But self-satisfied indifference is a sign of the absence of will, in which even conversion is impossible: conversion too presupposes a choice, a choice between God and something that hinders following Him. If there is nothing with which to choose, then conversion is impossible, it is impossible to follow Christ, impossible to live the life of the Kingdom. Only one thing is possible: to drift with the current where the world corrupted by sin is moving. In the direction opposite to the Kingdom.

Where does the history of the Kingdom begin? With the coming of the Messiah, who brought it into the world? Yes, of course. But that is for the world. And for us? According to the Savior's word, the Kingdom is "within us" and "among us" (both the original Greek expression and the corresponding Aramaic expression allow both translations). Then there is only one place where the history of the Kingdom can begin for us: our heart.

What is the Kingdom? New life? Yes, of course. A world renewed and transfigured by the breath of God? Without doubt; the day will come when the Kingdom is revealed in all its fullness, and then everyone will see it. And yet, first of all, the Kingdom is perhaps those relationships that bind us to God, to Christ, and to our neighbors, because without them, without these relationships, there will be neither new life nor a new world. And relationships cannot be imposed; they can only be offered.

Even God cannot force a person to love Him. One can impose one's presence on another if one is stronger and has enough power to do so. If God, or the Messiah sent by Him, wanted that, a person would have nowhere to go. But God does not need anything of the kind, and Christ does not need it either: He came not to demonstrate power, but to save us from the sin in which the world lies and in which we ourselves lie. What is needed here is love, which cannot be imposed and can only be offered. And so the Savior knocks at our heart in the hope that we will open to Him. That we will open, so that the history of the Kingdom may begin for us as well.

From what begins the history of the Kingdom? From the coming of the Messiah, Who brought it into the world? Yes, certainly. But it is for the world. And what for us? According to the word of the Savior, the Kingdom is "inside us" and "in our midst" (and original Greek, and Aramaic expression corresponding to it admit both translations). But then there is only a place, where the history of the Kingdom can begin for us: our heart.

What is the Kingdom? A new life? Yes, certainly. A world renewed and transformed by the breath of God? Indubitably will come the day, when the Kingdom will be opened in all plenitude, and so each will see it.

But all the same, the Kingdom is probably first of all those relations that connect us with God, with Christ, with the neighbor, because without them, without these relations, there will be neither a new life, nor a new world. And it is impossible to impose relations, we can only propose them. The same, God cannot force somebody to love Him. We can impose to another one’s presence, if we are stronger and if we have enough power for it.

If God or the Messiah sent by him wanted that, man would have had nowhere to go. But God needs nothing similar, and Christ also doesn’t need that: because, He came not to demonstrate power, but to save us from the sin, in which the world is and we too. Love that we cannot impose, but only propose is necessary here. And that is why the savior knocks in our heart with the hope that we shall open Him. Let us open so that the history of the Kingdom begins for us too.