Day 609: The party's over - Luke 21 vs 34 – 38

34-35 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may  have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37-38 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him. Luke 21:34-38 (English Standard Version)

I've mentioned how it's not easy to tell if this chapter is only about the destruction that was coming on Jerusalem, or also about the end of the whole world. What is certain, though, is that when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the next major event would be the return of Christ. And it seems that events preceding the return of Christ will be similar to those which preceded the end of the Old Testament era. What Jesus warned about escaping from the city doomed to destruction is also true for all mankind regarding the fate of this current world. What was the warning He gave to people then, but which surely still applies to the world today? (vs 34-35)

Because neither the fall of Jerusalem, nor the end of the world, were going to happen soon after He spoke those words, the danger was that believers could lose their sense of expectation and readiness for such a day and slip back into the lifestyle of the world. The word ‘dissipation’ in the original language meant to be drowsy, dizzy, or even having a hangover. A popular paraphrased version of the Bible says: “Be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties, drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap!”

That certainly captures something of Jesus’ words. In one of His earliest parables Jesus had warned how 'the worries of this life' and 'the deceitfulness of wealth' can choke the word of God that we’ve heard, and make God's message unfruitful in our lives. Notice that He didn't say people would immediately forget the gospel, but warned how Christians can be 'weighed down' if they start going back to worldly parties, and to focusing on things that the world runs after. What does He say Christians should do to prevent that from happening? (vs 36)

Believers need to keep spiritually awake and alert every day of their lives. And, knowing how vulnerable we are, and how clever Satan can be in using temptation, we need to pray continually to the Lord asking for daily strength to keep fleeing from what is doomed to destruction. The paraphrased version puts it as: “Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel! Pray constantly that you'll have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming, and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.” Jerusalem of old WAS shattered. All that awaits the world now is the return of Jesus Christ. We must keep that in our mind's focus every day.

In the last two verses of this chapter Luke tells how Jesus spent the final days before His crucifixion. We read that “every day he was teaching in the temple”. He was faithful to the end in carrying out the mission the Father entrusted to Him. But He didn't stay in the city overnight. Perhaps that was because He knew the religious leaders were seeking His life and He was waiting for the Passover feast to be the time when He would give Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins. We can read what He taught in those days in the last sections of the four gospels.

Christians mustn't treat life as a big party. Mankind’s party ended when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. All that awaits the world now is the coming of the King, a day that will usher in God's final and righteous judgement. So the apostle Peter said to Christians: “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:7-8)