My three daughters have recently gotten into telling jokes – specifically “knock knock” jokes. It isn’t uncommon for them to say “knock knock” at dinner, have us say “who’s there?” and then respond with something…unintelligible. Same with the “why did the chicken…” jokes.
There is something interesting about the knock knock joke. It gets you because you have to affirm that you’re listening to the joke. You have to say “who’s there?” Unlike some other jokes, it draws the audience into the joke rather than coming straightaway with the punchline. This is very clear when one of my girls tells the 7th knock knock joke in a row and we half heartedly say, “who is there?” and they get upset because we’re not paying the right kind of attention. We’re not being drawn into the joke.
That’s the case for Laodecia. Laodecia is the last of the 7 churches that Jesus writes to in Revelation. As a city during its day, Laodecia was known for being a hub of legal intelligence, fashion savvy, and medical know-how. It was something of a “university city” for its day, and it was wealthy. Laodecia was so wealthy, in fact, that when it was destroyed in 17 AD by an earthquake, the residents rebuilt the city with their own resources and without Rome’s help.
Possibly because of their wealth or their knowledge though, the church of Laodecia had a judgment leveled against them by Jesus: they were lukewarm. Jesus warns them that if they continue to be “neither cold or nor hot”, that He will spit them out of His mouth. Later in the passage, He informs them that He stands at the door and knocks – but it seems like their response is lacking. They’re not saying “who’s there?” They don’t care much to know. They feel as if their needs are taken care of.
Jesus wants to draw us into “the joke” that He plays on Satan and on our own perceptions of our righteousness. Like a good joke, the punchline is something unconventional, something surprising, perhaps even something implausible. The punch line is that He, the God of the Universe, is standing at our door seeking to draw us in. He is standing at the door with salvation, and He’s just asking us to pay attention to the joke.
So maybe the best thing is for us to consider how we would write the joke. Spend some time in prayer and complete this joke: Knock Knock. Who’s there? Jesus. Jesus who? Jesus….
Let that answer draw you in closer to His salvation, and may it heat up anything lukewarm in your heart to boiling over with excitement.