When coming to Luke 21, we can’t switch from preaching the gospel to reading the tabloids! In the manual for life, Jesus, zeroing in on verses 34-36, gives us advice about how to live in this life so we can live in the next.
I. Matthew 14:27-30. After Peter is invited to step out of the boat, he loses his focus on Jesus and begins to sink. So do we when our hearts are weighed down by the struggles of this life. We are to fix our eyes on the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), particularly on Jesus so we don’t grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).
II. Mark 14:32-38. At Gethsemane, Jesus asks his followers to watch while He prayed. Why? For Him or for them? The question is answered when He returns and tells them to watch and pray to not be tempted. Prayer is the church’s weapon of choice (Acts 12:4-5). We do not wage spiritual war as the world does, and so must use heavenly weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
III. Ephesians 6:10-13. At the end of all things, we must be able to stand before the Son of Man. That’s what the decisions we make in this life are all about. How good it will be to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21), if we have stood our ground using the full armor of God to aid us. If we persevere, God will hand us a crown of life as we stand before Him (James 1:12).
So, is your heart weighed down by the temporary struggles of this life? Where are your eyes fixed? Are you watching and praying? Are you wearing the full armor of God daily?