“And to the angel of the church of Sardis, write: These things saith he, that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast the name of being alive: and thou art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die. For I find not thy works full before my God. Have in mind therefore in what manner thou hast received and heard: and observe, and do penance. If then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come to thee. But thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy. He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Sardis, unlike many of the Christian communities at the time, was not undergoing persecution, but was enduring internal rot: “And from the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed” (Lamentations 1:6). Though the surrounding community, other Christian communities, and they themselves had a high opinion of the work in Sardis, Jesus condemns it as dead. While the problem is not indicated, it can be thought to be carelessness, that while there may be much beauty taking place in the church of Sardis on a sensual level, beautiful actions are lacking: “A diligent woman” which can mean the Church “is a crown to her husband: and she that doth things worthy of confusion, is a rottenness in his bones” (Proverbs 12:4). Or, this can mean that there is an absence of love, and while there is much good taking place, it is done without the animation of love: “Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God: having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Thimothy 3:2-5). Aside from blasphemy, none of these are grave matters that break the Decalogue, but each is contrary to a life of love, and could point to the deep rot that was in Sardis. However, Jesus provides hope: “Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it. And if it happily bear fruit: but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down” (Luke 13:8-9), encouraging His people to strengthen what is left, for “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all” (James 2:10), and if the tree is destitute of the true fruit of love: “I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate” (Canticle 2:3), instead being supplanted with some great flaw, then the true beauty of the church, which is the bond of love, was in desperate need of reinvigoration. Thus, Jesus prescribes a similar remedy to the church in Ephesus, which is a return to the fiery passion of newlyweds: “Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thy eyes, and with one hair of thy neck” (Canticle 4:9), and then to obey what they hear, for they originally heard with deep devotion and were inspired by what they heard, either being drawn into acts of love or repenting from what was not perfect love: “But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundred-fold, and another sixty, and another thirty” (Matthew 13:22), yet this flame had dissipated: “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee the finest and clearest oil of olives, to furnish the lamps continually… They shall be set upon the most pure candlestick before the Lord continually” (Leviticus 24:2-4). Now, St. Augustine defines “prayer without ceasing” as the continual desire for God alone, to love Him while taking great care not to do what is displeasing to Him, and this is to watch: “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The consequence would be a disintegration of love, with tragedy taking away what those in Sardis were holding onto that wasn’t Him and His love, which is what He means by coming like a thief. Most in Sardis were wearing dirty garments, which could be indicative that they were clothed with the state of grace: “I spread my garment over thee, and covered thy ignominy” (Ezechiel 16:8), but these were filthy with venial sin and a lack of love: “And Jesus was closed with filthy garments” (Zacharias 3:3), which is literal when one’s expression of Christ is soiled by what isn’t beautiful spiritually. However, there were a few that had not, and these have the beautiful honor to walk with Jesus in white, to cling to their Beloved with magnificent purity and beauty: “When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that bore me” (Canticle 3:4). This beauty He then offers to all, that they may rejoice in the beauty of the fullness of humanity: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with a robe of justice he hath covered me, as a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her jewels” (Isaias 61:10); “Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet” (Luke 15:22), including those that had dirtied the image of His love that was present in them: “Touch no unclean thing: go out of the midst of her, be ye clean, you that carry the vessels of the Lord” (Isaias 52:11). The one that overcomes, then, being brought to the fullness of their love, will be confidently etched in the Heart of Jesus, not answering the God of love with a loveless life, with Him then showing His bride to the Father as His joy and someone He is proud of: “Let my tongue cleave to my jaws… if I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy” (Psalm 136:6), for as a bridegroom wishes for his bride to be welcomed with love by his parents, and to be showcased before all of his friends and family, so too does Jesus want to bring you as His prize to heaven, to be seen in your soul’s loveliness by all: “The bridegroom shall rejoice over the bride, and thy God shall rejoice over thee” (Isaias 62:5)