Luke, Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Luke is not pretty. In it, the disciples asked what some of the signs of the end of the age would be. Their natural human curiosity wanted to know if the end times would come in their lifetime. It was a case of wanting to use their position close to Jesus to gain insider information. As usual, Jesus did not give a definitive answer. His answer actually fit two time periods.

When He mentions a generation he could mean the current generation He was peaking to or humanity as a whole. In 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed and suffered many of the fates Jesus described here. By reading elsewhere in Scripture, we see that many of the same fates are prophesied to happen at the actual end times. We know that no one knows the date and time that the Son of Man will return, but we are to be prepared at all times for that return.

12"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life. – Luke 21:12-19

One of the things I pray for daily is the words and wisdom to make it in this world. I know I do not face gross persecution by anyone, yet I still feel like I do not belong to this world. I have long felt that I march along a different path than many people. Because of that, I don’t fit in very well in many situations. It is probably one of the reasons I have so many job struggles because I refuse to bend my principles for the sake of others if I think it is wrong to do so.

Part of Jesus’ promise here requires faith though. I keep going back to the section on sin, faith, and duty at the beginning of Luke 17. That paints a clear picture that an abundance of faith isn’t needed, just the fact that we have faith. We need to have the faith that God will gives us the tools we need to make it in this world. Personally, I feel like the more I do to pursue work lately the less I hear about it. I try to get through each day with the little bit of faith I have by saying, “Lord, this is Your promise. You promised to provide. Only You can do the things I cannot. It’s Your problem to fix.”

I have no idea how it will be done. Right now, short of a miracle offer coming to slap me in the face, I don’t know how God is going to find me a job. I just have faith that He will provide.