Unexpectedly
Well I expected to launch into this blog series reflecting on all my expectations - of myself, of God, of Christmas - when a passage we had read the first Sunday of Advent caught my attention with the word "unexpectedly".
Luke 21:25-36 was the Gospel reading last Sunday. Right now I want to focus on the last three verses:
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The passage is talking about the return of Christ - that there will be signs and distressing things that happen before Jesus comes again so we need to be ready. We need to be on our guard so that "that day does not catch [us] unexpectedly like a trap". How do we do that? Is there anything we can do so that we are not caught off guard when Christ returns? I think so.... expect that Jesus will return!
If we expect that Jesus is coming back some day, we will be much more motivated to be on guard and alert. We will be desiring to pray for the strength we will need to escape what will happen "and to stand before the Son of Man". But what exactly are we to be on guard for? against? It is right in the text: "so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life".
Heavy hearts... that's what we need to be on guard against. But note what they are weighed down with:
- dissipation - wastefulness, diversions, spending all our money in foolish ways, only being interested in pleasure
- drunkenness - that one is pretty self-explanatory
- the worries of this life - all the problems we face and cares we have living in this sinful world
At first, I see two extremes: the partier and the planner; the carouser and the worry-wart. But isn't it interesting that both of them have the same issue underneath it all - hearts that are tied-down, caught-up, perhaps we could even say, in bondage.
(By the way, I see an interesting connection between the three of these. Worries of life can lead to dissipation and drunkenness as ways to escape the stress, release the tension, and forget the problems. But they can only provide temporary relief as dissipation and drunkenness can lead to more worries with the financial and emotional consequences that those behaviours bring. Even if someone doesn't turn to partying to comfort their soul, there still may be dissipation of time and energy as it is spent on fretting and stewing.)
"Wait a minute!" someone may say. "Are you trying to tell me that the person who is partying and drunk is in the same category as someone who is weighed down because they take seriously their responsiblities and challenges in life?" No and yes. Of course there is a difference in what their lives may look like and the impact they have on others but ultimately, neither is ready to meet the Lord because neither heart is freely trusting in Him or relying on Him. The result? As the Message puts it: "that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once". The day will arrive unexpectedly.
This Advent, may we be willing to look at the things that weigh us down and bring them to the Lord. May our hearts be freed to love God and be loved by Him, to trust Him with our worries, and to find our joy in Him. As we get ready to celebrate Christmas, may we be expectantly mindful of Jesus' second-coming knowing that not only do we need to be ready for December 25th but also for "That Day" when it comes.
Luke 21:25-36 was the Gospel reading last Sunday. Right now I want to focus on the last three verses:
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The passage is talking about the return of Christ - that there will be signs and distressing things that happen before Jesus comes again so we need to be ready. We need to be on our guard so that "that day does not catch [us] unexpectedly like a trap". How do we do that? Is there anything we can do so that we are not caught off guard when Christ returns? I think so.... expect that Jesus will return!
If we expect that Jesus is coming back some day, we will be much more motivated to be on guard and alert. We will be desiring to pray for the strength we will need to escape what will happen "and to stand before the Son of Man". But what exactly are we to be on guard for? against? It is right in the text: "so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life".
Heavy hearts... that's what we need to be on guard against. But note what they are weighed down with:
- dissipation - wastefulness, diversions, spending all our money in foolish ways, only being interested in pleasure
- drunkenness - that one is pretty self-explanatory
- the worries of this life - all the problems we face and cares we have living in this sinful world
At first, I see two extremes: the partier and the planner; the carouser and the worry-wart. But isn't it interesting that both of them have the same issue underneath it all - hearts that are tied-down, caught-up, perhaps we could even say, in bondage.
(By the way, I see an interesting connection between the three of these. Worries of life can lead to dissipation and drunkenness as ways to escape the stress, release the tension, and forget the problems. But they can only provide temporary relief as dissipation and drunkenness can lead to more worries with the financial and emotional consequences that those behaviours bring. Even if someone doesn't turn to partying to comfort their soul, there still may be dissipation of time and energy as it is spent on fretting and stewing.)
"Wait a minute!" someone may say. "Are you trying to tell me that the person who is partying and drunk is in the same category as someone who is weighed down because they take seriously their responsiblities and challenges in life?" No and yes. Of course there is a difference in what their lives may look like and the impact they have on others but ultimately, neither is ready to meet the Lord because neither heart is freely trusting in Him or relying on Him. The result? As the Message puts it: "that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once". The day will arrive unexpectedly.
This Advent, may we be willing to look at the things that weigh us down and bring them to the Lord. May our hearts be freed to love God and be loved by Him, to trust Him with our worries, and to find our joy in Him. As we get ready to celebrate Christmas, may we be expectantly mindful of Jesus' second-coming knowing that not only do we need to be ready for December 25th but also for "That Day" when it comes.
Thanks for this great post, Tracy. I remember when I discovered (quite recently) that Advent is a time to anticipate the return of Christ as much as it is a time to remember his first coming into the world. Still, I often forget that verses such as these are as much "advent readings" as the more familiar verses from Isaiah etc. I agree with you about the link between the different manifestations of hearts weighed down and like the way you put it: what we need to be on our guard against is hearts weighed down. This sounds simple but of course it is not because we are constantly tempted to become weighed down and take our eyes off Christ. I also like what you say here: "Is there anything we can do so that we are not caught off guard when Christ returns? I think so.... expect that Jesus will return!" Too often I am concerned with all the things I should be avoiding or being careful not to do (thoughts that tend to focus on myself) instead of thinking about the reason, the hope, the good thing I have that helps me to pursue the better path in life (Christ).
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