Luke 21:29-38
29 And He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees:
30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near.
31 So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.
32 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
34 “But be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that this day will not come on you suddenly, like a trap;
35 for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth.
36 But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.
38 And all the people would get up very early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.
The Teaching about the Last Days (5)
The parable of the fig tree
In today’s passage, Jesus summarizes what He has been teaching about “the signs of the end of age.” “Look at the fig tree and all the trees: as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near” (v 29-31). Let us review what “these things,” the signs of the end of age, were. (1) The appearance of false Christs, (2) wars between nations and peoples, (3) great earthquakes and other natural disasters, (4) plagues and famines, (5) sudden upheavals in the natural world, and to these we may add one more: (6) the spiritual restoration of Israel. The birth of the nation of Israel in 1948 signifies that “the fig tree and all the trees” have begun to put forth leaves. We now live in a time when the coming of the end of the age, as spoken by Jesus, feels more real than at any point in history. Let us deeply reflect on the words of the Lord Jesus: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (v 33).
Preparing for settlement
The reason Jesus prophesied about the end of the age was to give a warning to His disciples. That warning is as follows: “But stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (v 36). Those who believe in Jesus must always be mindful of the time of reckoning before God. When a person uses a credit card without considering that a time of payment will come, that person will end up bankrupt. In the same way, if we live our lives without thinking about the time of reckoning, we will become spiritually bankrupt. Are you laboring for things that have eternal value? Is your use of time, your spending of money, your hobbies, and your relationships pleasing to God? Let us always stay alert and pray.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I often find my heart captured by things of no lasting value. Please forgive me. Examine every area of my life and lead me to live a life that labors for what has eternal worth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.