REV. — 6
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Smyrneans was generally known ; their reputation for faithfulness was well established. Accordingly, to those of them composing the Church at Smyrna, the exhortation of the Apostle would have the tacit force of a compliment, and would thus at once win their attention to the duty it enjoined — that just as in civic affairs they had been staunch and true to Caesar, so in religious matters they should manifest unfaltering fidelity to Christ.
(2) Again, the words, " I will give thee the crown of life," also had a peculiar fitness to Smyrna — a reference which the Christians who resided there could not fail to appreciate. Smyrna has been called " the city of life " ; and its life and brightness are the characteristics that at once impress a visitor. It has been likened in shape to a glorious statue sitting with its feet in the sea. Until within a few years the hill into which the city runs back, and which was likened to the head of the statue, was crowned with the ruins of what had been a magnificent and apparently impregnable castle. This is what was known as the Garland or Crown of Smyrna. One of the great teachers of the place besought the citizens not to be satisfied with a crown of buildings, but to strive to have as its crown pure, patriotic, just and good men. These, he said, are the true garland of a city, its prize, its mark of supremacy — not stone walls, but true and pure citizens. In the words, therefore, which St. John addressed to the Christians of Smyrna there was this further compliment. It was as if he said to them, " I know that ye are citizens of no mean city, that verily yours is a queen among the cities of the earth, but though you are justly proud of it, let me tell you of a crown fairer than any that the world can show or any that the world can dream of — a crown not of material but of spiritual beauty — the crown of life that is for ever, and that is reserved in heaven for all such as, believing in the Lord and serving Him, continue faithful unto death."
I.
The Call to Fidelity.
"Be thou faithful unto death."
1. The Church at Smyrna was in the midst of suffering. Was not that enough ? and shall she not be told that her sufferings
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were drawing to an end, that the night of weeping was gone by, and that the morning of joy was about to dawn ? So we might think ; but God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways, and we are like children bathing on the shore :
Buried a wave beneath;
The second wave succeeds before
We have had time to breathe.
How often does it happen in the Christian's experience that one burden is laid upon another, and that one wave succeeds another, till he seems left desolate and alone upon the earth. Yet even then he has no assurance that his sufferings are at a close. The consolation afforded to him is, not that there shall be a short campaign, but only that, whether long or short, he shall be more than conqueror through Him that loved him.
(1) To us, the words of the text are partly metaphorical ; but they had no metaphorical meaning when they were written. The persecution of Nero had told the Christians what they might expect. Death was the least pain which the world against them had in its quiver. They were hunted like the wild beasts of the woods. They were tortured, exposed to the hatred of the crowd who cheered the lion and the wild bull that tore and dragged them to death. Through these physical woes, as well as through the spiritual struggles that we have, the early followers of Christ had to persevere, were they to be faithful. Those who kept the faith were obliged to look agony of body and death in the face. Men who began the Christian race had then to count the cost, and resolve to pay it. They had to give up ally or at least be ready at a moment to give up all — home, friends, wealth, worldly honour — and to take Christ instead, and death.
(2) The Christians of Smyrna were about to suffer more heavily than ever; their enemies were apparently to prevail. They were to be cast into prison ; and let us remember that the Roman Empire did not imprison for punishment as we do. They would not burden the State with the support of a number of prisoners. Every man who was in prison was there awaiting either his trial or his death. His trial would end in acquittal, or scourging, or fine, or exile, or death. Some of these poor, struggling, much-maligned Christians would be called upon to seal their
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testimony with their blood. " Be thou faithful unto (not until) death " is the message, not merely through tribulation and poverty and slander, but up to the point of dying ; there is no other way to the crown of life ; " you must suffer," is Christ's message, " or else be unfaithful." There is no other way to escape suffering save by being untrue, and the message is, " Be thou true and let the devil do his worst."