I find the history of Sardis absolutely fascinating. It’s quite possibly my favorite story of the seven churches of Revelation. The city was one with a glorious past and a mediocre present.
I didn’t grow up hearing the expression “rich as Croesus,” but his story particularly intrigues me. Croesus was rich and powerful and decided to attack the Persians, governed by King Cyrus. Legend says that he consulted the oracle at Delphi before attacking. As oracles often did, the oracle gave an ambiguous answer: If you take your armies across the Halys River, you will destroy a great nation. Croesus, of course, thought this meant he would destroy the Persians. He learned otherwise.
In Letters From The Lamb, I wrote:
Croesus had attacked Cyrus’ army, then had withdrawn to his mountain fortress when things did not go well. Cyrus, frustrated at his army’s inability to penetrate the citadel, offered a reward to any soldier who could discover an entry route. One of the Persian soldiers observed a Lydian that accidentally dropped his helmet, yet was able to quickly descend and retrieve it. The Persians waited until nightfall, then scaled the cliff at that very point. Thinking their position unassailable, Croesus had no guards posted on the battlements! The Persians quickly overran the city and the battle was won, not by military might but by carelessness on the part of the inhabitants of Sardis. To Sardis’ great shame, the city was taken the same way by the Athenians a short time later, then again three hundred years later when Antiochus III conquered the unguarded city.
(Letters From The Lamb, p. 116)
When Jesus addresses the church in Sardis, he tells them to wake up. Surely those words must have made them blush as they thought of their history. He then tells them, “But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Another reference to their inglorious history.
Jesus’ words apply not only to the people of Sardis, of course. We all need to be alert and watching. We don’t know when our Lord will return. We shouldn’t be caught unawares.
Years ago, Dr. Arlie Hoover spoke at the chapel at the Missions Seminar at ACU. He used an illustration from Søren Kierkegaard that really stayed with me. I’ve tried for years to find the original citation, but have not been able to find it.