Luke 21- Andy's thoughts

Right Thinking
Sometimes philosophers and theologians like to use a phrase “worldview” to express one’s particular understanding and outlook on life. A worldview encompasses our beliefs about why we are here, who we are supposed to be, and what we are supposed to do. A few examples of worldviews may include existentialism, pragmatism, free market capitalism, socialism, Marxism, or utilitarianism. (You can look these up on the internet- I highly recommend looking at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for accurate and in-depth explanations of these. Or I suppose, there’s always Wikipedia… sigh).

As Christians, we too have a worldview. The Bible answers those deep questions of why, who, and what. Throughout the gospels, Jesus is instructing us on how to construct a biblical worldview. Such a worldview should reshape our beliefs about why we are here, who we are, and what we should do. In this chapter, Jesus continues to reshape our worldview about our relationship to money and our thoughts about how to live.

(Note about Chapters and Verses in the Bible)
This chapter opens with an account of an unnamed widow who gives generously despite her poverty. It is easy to read this chapter without looking at the preceding verses of chapter 20. It is probably helpful to note here that the original manuscripts of the Bible did not have chapter and verse notations. So Luke would have just been one long letter. The breaking up of the Bible into chapters and verses did not happen until many years later (around A.D. 1277).

Our Relationship with our Money
The end of chapter 20 records Jesus’ condemnation of the teachers of the law because they loved to receive praise and cheated widows out of their property. They did this by placing an exorbitant expectation of tithing on the poor. They then used this money to make their own lives more comfortable. Woe to those who continue this practice today.

Chapter 21 continues this theme by highlighting one poor widow in particular who was giving generously. She might not have known or even cared what the religious officials were doing with her money. She was committing an act of faith and devotion to God by giving. There are blessings to those who continue this practice today.

I think that Jesus is teaching us to have a right outlook on life. Money is just a means to an end. If we are consumed in the pursuit of gaining more money as an ultimate goal, then we will not be free to be consumed in the pursuit of fulfilling the mission of God in the world. The mission of God in the world is to build the Kingdom of God by experiencing God intimately and helping others to know Him too.

Jesus shows us that we do not need to have great financial resources to be faithful. We need to have great faith put into practice in order to be faithful. Jesus teaches us that we need to abandon the materialistic message with which the world bombards us. Jesus teaches us that we need to have right thinking.

Our Outlook on the Future
When I was in high school, I viewed my whole life as being some future experience. In college, I was preparing for that future. When I graduated, I was a bit surprised to find out that the future that I was working toward did not rush upon me in some grand moment of clarity. Looking back, I realize the flaw in my thinking. Our culture has taught us that young people (define it as you like) should prepare for the future. While this is partially, true, it excludes a very vital truth. Young people as well as older people (also define as you like) should be actively engaged in the present.

Some years ago, Christian (the pastor of ORB- for those who are reading and don’t go to my church) said that churches often say that young people are the future of the church. He said this was misleading. He illustrated this by asking, “are older people the past of the church?” Of course we wouldn’t say this. Why? Because it would exclude their significance to the present of the church. In the same way, it is misleading to tell the younger people of the church that they should focus on preparing for the future. We should actively engage them in the present of the church.

As I write this, I am 37 years old. I have already outlived the time that Jesus spent in his earthly ministry. This boggles my mind. Jesus did not wait years and years only preparing for some future. He actively engaged himself in the mission of God. All too often “the future” becomes an obstacle to our present calling.

I believe that when we enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, we are commissioned with a responsibility to serve Jesus immediately. It would be unfaithful to sit on the sidelines waiting for the nebulous future. The time to serve, the time to love, the time to worship, the time to give, the time to suffer, the time to die to ourselves and live to Christ, is now.

Throughout the rest of this chapter, Jesus talks about the future. He tells us that there will be people who claim to have a special knowledge of the future and its significance to God. He tells us to watch out for such people. Human history is full of cult leaders making claims about the near future and the end of the world. Such leaders usually point to natural disasters and human warfare as indicators of the end of the world. Jesus says that such discussion is futile.

There will always be wars and rumors of wars. There will always be earthquakes and famines and plagues. These do not carry any intrinsic value as indicators that the end is near. Christians have often looked at their present sufferings as a sign that Jesus would return in their immediate lifetime. Jesus is very clear about not telling us any dates or times about his return. He tells us to look at these sufferings as reminders of the worldview that we should adopt.

Life is short. As Moses said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). As we read in Ecclesiastes, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Jesus speaks in similar language as he instructs us to use these current signs of the brevity of life to encourage us to always be prepared for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

So how should we be prepared? We should prepare by having right thinking and right actions. Right thinking involves understanding that as followers of Jesus, we will follow in his sufferings. If we think that our relationship with Jesus guarantees us an exemption from suffering, we are mistaken. While he does promise his presence to us and even a measure of protection, he tells us in verse 19, that our only true guarantee of safety is in regard to eternity.

This may seem a bit unfulfilling, but remember- we need to change our thinking. What happens in this life is just a precursor to eternity. Right thinking involves having an eternal perspective. Everyone is going to die at some point. How we live is what is important. And this leads to the next form of preparation- right actions.

What are the right actions that we should be taking? I think that involves so many of the other things that Jesus was teaching up to this point. We are called to be his messengers. We are called to proclaim to this world that Jesus is the true king and Caesar is not. We are called to show the world the love, mercy, grace, truth, justice, and so many of the other attributes of God through our lives.

Ultimately I think that this chapter is summed up when Jesus tells us that “the Kingdom of God is near” (verse 31). If we are thinking rightly, then we will live vibrant lives as messengers of Jesus’ Kingdom. We will neither procrastinate because of the future nor live in fear because of the future. We will live in expectant hope and joy because of the present and the future for it is true that the Kingdom of God is near.

Historical Note about the Fall of Jerusalem and my Personal Speculation
Jared, you asked about thoughts on the specifics of what Jesus was prophesying. I know that there is a wide array of interpretations regarding the end times and these statements. I am inclined to think that for the most part Jesus is talking about the destruction of the temple and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. I posted a little about this a few chapters ago (especially the siege of Masada).

There was an even greater destruction of Jerusalem and Judea around 130 in the third Jewish war with Rome. Emperor Hadrian led a mass genocide and killed over a million Jews. Afterwards he renamed the region Palestine- to commemorate the historic enemies of the Jews- the Philistines. Many years later, during the decline of the Byzantine Empire (Holy Roman Empire based out of Constantinople) the city of Jerusalem was repeatedly devastated by Christian crusaders and Muslim armies alike.

I guess, my overall take on interpreting this chapter and other similar ones in the gospels is to see it as something partially fulfilled already and partially yet to be fulfilled. I won’t go into the different eschatological schools of thought- premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. I think that such prophesies are not intended to allow us to construct a detailed account of how the end times will happen. Instead, they are given as reminders to always be ready.

Application:
How would we answer these questions-
• Why am I here?
• Who am I?
• What am I supposed to do?