Reading: Hebrews 10:32-39
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A good friend of mine referred to his house this way. “It’s all the Lord’s! He can do what He wants with it.” Even though, this man would probably be considered part of the 99%, to many in the world who lack food and shelter, he’s definitely in the 1%. Wealth is relative, and while he isn’t raking in the dough; he isn’t starving either.
What makes my friend wealthy isn’t his possessions but rather his attitude. Recently we read Luke 18 and the story of the rich man. What does Jesus tell His disciples? “It’s difficult for a rich man to enter heaven.” It’s difficult but not impossible. What makes it difficult is that possessions – money, property, clothes, toys, etc. so easily can become idols. Jesus’ approach with the rich young man is to get him to think in terms of getting to love God rather than having to give up something. That’s what makes you rich.
Smyrna was rich – not because they had or didn’t have wealth but because they had a heavenly perspective. In a rich city where they were probably blacklisted because of their faith in Jesus, they had very little. They were just holding on. Jesus commends them. “To the world, you may seem poor, but to me, you are rich.”
I marvel at the martyrs. I look at paintings of them huddled in a theater about to be devoured by a pack of hungry lions. Fear floods their eyes, as the look up to heaven. The sheer terror of the moment breaks my heart. Yet, they do not dare renounce their faith. How is it that these men, women, and children stood firm in the face of death? It is because they had a heavenly perspective. They not only considered their possessions belonging to the Lord, they considered their entire lives belonging to the Lord.
What do they receive? Jesus promises them a victor’s crown. The Greek word is stephanos – the very name of the first Christian martyr – Stephen. How poetic that the first martyr’s name means victor’s crown – the very reward he will receive for standing firm in his faith even to the point of death. How poetic that these martyrs will “lose” in the earthly arena but be crowned the victors in heaven. How poetic that they will give up everything and yet Jesus considers them rich.
In Revelation 4, we see these victors with their heads crowned with stephanos. And what do they do? They display the same attitude that they had on earth, placing the crown at Jesus’ feet. “You are the One who is worthy Jesus!” they say. “All of this is yours!”