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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 heed 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."
And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.
- Luke 21:29-38
Yesterday, Jesus continued His talk to His disciples in Jerusalem. He spoke of the coming destruction of the temple, and of the city. And He also spoke of the things that would happen when "the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled", giving them warnings regarding both events: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And 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. And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
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." We know that He has already warned that many of those listening to Him would see the events of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. But here, it's a different type of warning about another event, His return, or Second Coming. My study bible says that "this generation" refers to all believers at all times. That is, the generation of the Church, and not merely those alive at the time of Jesus. This is as firm a promise as He will make: heaven and earth would pass away (see yesterday's reading regarding the darkening of sun, moon and stars), but these words remain.
"But take heed 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." Here's the real point of this discourse. It's not so that we know all the signs and predict for ourselves when the event will happen. Here's another promise: the Day will come unexpectedly if we forget what we are to be about, what His commands and teachings have taught us to be and to do. It's a snare, otherwise -- a trap. And we're also to pray consistently -- actually, the Greek indicates that we're to pray always for strength, because this is the only way to watch ourselves. It's interesting also that He says it's for all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. This is a teaching for everyone.
Jesus' final word is to watch. But this word isn't about watching for signs. It's for watching ourselves, being aware and mindful of who we are and what we are doing. Think about it; the events He names here are going to come as a snare on everybody. We're deliberately given no exact time, and implications are we're not even to inquire about it. The point is that we're to be prepared, by praying always, and by being aware that in fact it can come entirely unexpectedly. We're to be mindful, not to forget His teachings and commands about how we are to live in this world. What does it mean to practice what He has taught us? What are His great commandments? He's answered that the two greatest commandments in the law of Moses are to first, love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. He's even given a kind of proactive example to answer the question, "Who is my neighbor?" as posed in Luke's Gospel: the story of the Good Samaritan (see Go and do likewise). Jesus has previously taught that we are to try to settle matters with "our adversary" before we get to the court, because we don't know what the magistrate will decide if we leave everything until that day of judgment. Good advice for worldly problems and also for spiritual ones! So it is with the affairs of soul and spirit we must do our best to reconcile in the here and now, and before that "day" comes -- which will indeed come to all. This awareness is supposed to get us to think about what becomes important in light of that Day of His return. What do we want to settle now? Against whom have we trespassed? And if there's a kind of a "debt" we feel someone else owes us, let us take it to prayer and handle it well. Pray always isn't just a phrase He's tossing out. It's through prayer we find the solution before we get to court, we get advice and guidance by praying always. It gives us the strength to survive the snares that lead us to forgetfulness, thoughtlessness, a lack of awareness for these times He teaches about. It's the best advice I can think of, and it's what Jesus leaves us with. So, where are you in the "affairs of the court" as Jesus puts it? Do you have unsettled matters of the soul? If there are ways in which this awareness of what is to come for all of us one day does not suggest a way to settle a matter, or perhaps you feel there is nothing for you to do before that day, consider prayer. Prayer can enlighten us better to the things of which we're entirely unaware in our lives, things that need settlement and work -- and particularly ways in which we are asleep to the reality of the time. Jesus mentions carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life as distractions that keep us from true wakefulness, mindfulness, alacrity. We can imagine ways in which we "forget" by keeping busy, or our own forms of "carousing," a drunkenness can be with anything that keeps us in a fog, forgetful in some sense of dealing with life itself. This can be any form of excess. And we all know the daily cares of the world; and anxieties and toil that keep us from focusing on the real matters of the soul, the rest we need in Christ, and the refreshing life that brings. These are all ways in which we recall His talk of being prepared, settling our affairs, putting our lives in order so that the problems before the Judge become easy and simple. We may not have to go to court at all. Finally, there is the new command with which He left His disciples: "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). That's a tall order, but one we need to think about -- what does it mean to model His kind of love? Let's remember what is really important in the light of His return.
