In the following article you will find a brief commentary on Luke 21 that goes along with our Riverside Church Two Year Bible Reading Plan (Volume 1 & Volume 2). This plan will allow you to read the New Testament and Psalms once every year and the Old Testament once every two years.
Sober and Carefree
Luke 21:34–36 (ESV)
34 “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. 35 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.”
As Jesus teaches us about the end of all things, he calls us to be ready. For starters, we are not to be weighed down.
It may seem ironic, but he warns against drunkenness, which may weigh us down. Some may think that too much drink lightens one’s load, but in the end it dulls the child of God and renders him slow, unready.
Furthermore, the cares of this life load up the believer with distracting heaviness. Give these cares to God and give your heart to heaven. Live ready for the return of Jesus and the destruction of all things, which precedes the new creation.
There it is, God calls us to be seeking his kingdom, to live sober and carefree lives. Why is this important? Because you will need all the strength you can imagine and more than you can muster. Pray for it (verse 36). You will stand before the Son of Man and you must be ready. This is that which occupies our minds and hearts, not the passing pleasures and worries of this life.
