Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away

Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you, also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But take need to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

- Luke 21:29-36

Over the course of the past two readings, Jesus has been discussing the end of the age, and also the events that will come to be in A.D. 70 -- the destruction of the temple and the siege of Jerusalem. On Saturday, we read of Jesus' predictions for Jerusalem and for the signs that it is near: armies surrounding the city. He taught that those in Judea and Jerusalem should flee, because there will be great distress on the land and its people. "They will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Then Jesus spoke of the end of the age, and the great signs to come first. "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you, also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." There is a paradox here: What does "this generation" mean? It has been interpreted in different ways, and I might suggest -- suitably to the passages in the section (see the previous two readings, here and here) -- that perhaps it may mean both. Jesus has combined a talk on the destruction of the temple (in the siege of Jerusalem) and the end of the age, two things that are inseparable in the spiritual mind of the people. So what does "this generation" mean? Historically it has been interpreted two ways: first, that it refers to the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple which was to happen, indeed, within the lifetimes of "this generation." The second is that it refers to the new Christian generation and, as my study bible puts it, "all things include the return of Christ." The early Church Fathers generally preferred the latter interpretation. But I would suggest that both may be evoked by this talk in which both are interwoven by Jesus. I think they are spiritually connected in important ways -- and linked to His Incarnation in the flesh, and the time we are in now, the era His Incarnation and the anointing of the Spirit was to inaugurate, in preparation for Judgment, the event of His return. And there is the great assurance that "My words will by no means pass away." Of course, there are also other layers of interwoven meanings here: He has already taught His disciples to preach that "the kingdom of God has come near to you."

"But take need to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." So what is the great summing up of these extraordinary teachings? Just this, we are to live each day with the understanding that in this moment, this hour, this time we are to remember what we must be about: that we have a life to live in which we practice His teachings. It is just that: to be awake to the reality of the spiritual life, the life He has brought to us and to live our lives in that awareness. To watch and to pray is to be aware and awake to the reality of that kingdom that is near to us always, and to live life to its fullest as we draw on the "life in abundance" that He brought to us. This is what it is to be awake to Life, to watch and pray, and not to have our hearts weighed down with the cares of "this life" alone.

So how do you practice watchfulness, and the prayer that keeps us mindful of this kingdom with which we have been anointed, which has been brought to us? How do we practice that kind of mindfulness, awareness, being awake day by day? To pray is to "remember God." It is to be awake to the possibilities day in and day out of the love that awaits us and which we may live within ourselves and in our lives. In this way, I believe, is life in abundance, full of possibilities, new starts, daily renewal. How do you practice that awareness? In prayer, turn to that love and build on it, and do not let your heart be weighed down with the cares of "this world" only. The kingdom intersects and layers "this world" within us, even as we pray "Thy kingdom come." It comes through us, and the love of the Spirit working in us.