Luke 21: 29-37…Be ready!

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“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. 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.”
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.

Comment: Jesus makes a very simple statement. ‘You can tell when spring is about to give way to summer, just by looking at trees. Learn to tell the signs of the times.’ He adds that what He had said and promised will happen. He reassures them. People tend to get tired and go to sleep. Human nature is such that if something doesn’t happen immediately, or at least soon, we forget it and go onto something else. This is such an important lesson, Jesus says – don’t be caught sleeping.

Maybe He repeated the same teaching over and over, which is probable and a good teacher knows about emphatically reminding their hearers of what they are teaching. But I’m sure that we only have here a precis and summary of what He taught. But what we have been given, is what we need, so let’s pay careful attention.

Prayer: Let me not fall asleep on guard duty!