Reflections with Andy – Luke 21: 29-38 – Be Alert 

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As we conclude Jesus’ public teaching in Luke 21, we recognize that the call to be “alert” is not just about watching the skies for the end of the age, but about keeping our hearts sensitive to God’s presence in the present. We understand that the “worries of this life” can weigh us down and numb us just as much as any vice, causing us to miss the ways Jesus comes to us every day in the “least, last, and lost.” We acknowledge that if the devil cannot make us “bad,” he will often try to make us “busy,” distracting us from our primary task of following Christ. By looking for Jesus in the intersections and crosswalks of our daily lives, we ensure that we are ready for His ultimate return while staying faithful to His work today.

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Good morning! It is a pleasure to be with you on this Thursday, January 15th. Just a quick scheduling note as we look ahead: with the office being closed this coming Monday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we won’t have a Rooted that day. We will have our regular time tomorrow, and then we’ll pick back up on Tuesday the 20th.

Today, we are finishing out Luke chapter 21 (verses 29–38). This is a significant moment in the narrative because it marks the end of Jesus’ public teaching in Luke’s Gospel. From here on, His focus shifts toward the private preparation of the disciples and the journey to the Cross.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree (Luke 21:29–33)

Jesus uses a simple, natural illustration to talk about the Kingdom:

“Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”

Just as we don’t need a calendar to tell us summer is coming when the leaves begin to bud, Jesus tells us that we should have a spiritual “discernment” for the world around us. He emphasizes the permanence of His Truth: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

How to Live: Alert and Unburdened (Luke 21:34–38)

1. The Weight of Life

Jesus warns us: “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.”

It is interesting that He groups “drunkenness” with the “worries of this life.” Both act as a sedative. Both can put our souls into a stupor where we are no longer present. Whether we are numbing ourselves with substances or simply allowing the “busy-ness” of life to drown out our calling, the result is the same: we lose our alertness.

2. “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

Your mom’s quote is a classic for a reason! Sometimes the “busyness” of doing good things—work, family, even church tasks—can be just as dangerous as “bad” things if it draws our eyes off Jesus. When we are too busy to notice Him, we are no longer alert.

3. The Daily “Second Coming”

You made a beautiful point about where we look for Jesus. We often spend our time staring at the clouds, waiting for the Great Second Coming at the end of time. But in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is constantly appearing to us today in the “least, the last, and the lost.”

  • He comes to us in the person at the crosswalk.
  • He comes to us in the coworker who is struggling.
  • He comes to us in the hungry and the broken.

If we aren’t “alert” in our daily lives, we will miss these daily visitations.

Jesus’ Daily Rhythm

Luke ends this chapter by describing Jesus’ final routine before the Passion:

“Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.”

Jesus spent His days pouring out Truth to the people and His nights in prayer and rest on the Mount of Olives. This balance of public service and private devotion is the model for the “alert” life He calls us to lead.

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