Hot or Cold?

In Revelation 3:16 Jesus comments regarding the church of Laodicea that they are lukewarm and He is about to spit them from His mouth.  He would rather they be hot or cold.  This middle ground of being lukewarm is emphasized in Luke 20:1-8.  Jesus has made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  He has run the money-changers out of the temple, and now He is teaching in the temple courts.

¹ One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to Him. ² “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave You this authority?”

³ He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: ⁴ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

⁵ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

⁷ So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

⁸ Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

These religious leaders were trying desperately to find a way to kill Jesus as is told in Luke 19:47-48.  By asking this question they were hoping that Jesus would say that God gave Him authority and then have Him killed for blasphemy.  Jesus knew what they were trying to do.  But He does not waste even their own evil plans to teach and ask for a response.

By asking this question, he is providing them a way to be hot or cold with regards to their belief in God's prophet John and Jesus Himself.  They have the option at that moment to say John's baptism was from heaven and he was a prophet of God who led people to repentance.  That they should have followed him but were not certain.  This would show a response to His call.  This would indicate a heart hearing the Word of God and putting itself behind.  This would be "hot" using the analogy of Revelations.

Or, they could say John's baptism was of human origin and defend their belief to the people.  They would have to take a stand and address their conflict with the people.  This would have been a "cold" response.

Either of these two are definitive responses and address conflict in their heart, with the people whether it is the crowd or their fellow religious leaders, and with Jesus.  Either is a proper response.  Believe what you believe, declare it, deal with the consequences, but don't say you believe it and be unwilling to stand on it.  I think this is what Jesus is declaring for in His desire in Revelation for them to be hot or cold.  Yet, the religious leaders do the most lukewarm thing possible.  They let fear and an absence of courage allow them to answer "We don't know".  The real unsaid answer is, "We are unwilling to say.  We are too scared to really believe and too scared to stand on our actual belief."  Is there anything more wimpy?

If someone chooses not to believe in Jesus, then don't believe.  I hope until the day I go to meet God that you change your mind, but don't pretend for my sake.  If someone chooses to believe in Jesus, then praise God in heaven and may the heavens sing!  I hope until the day you go to meet God that you are ever growing in closeness to Him and You see His work in your life every day.  But don't say you believe and have a heart of stone and do whatever you want to do, don't pretend for my sake. 

Just as important is for me to take a daily account of my thoughts and actions and ask: "Am I pretending?  Do my thoughts and actions reflect a person who says he believes in Jesus and claims to be saved?  Is what I think I am reflected in what I say and do?  How is my faith today?  Does my day depend upon Jesus and no other?"  In asking these questions, I can hope to keep myself from pretending and be "hot" in the eyes of my Christ.