“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:34-36

Yesterday as I drove back from Frankfort, a car in the road in front of me stopped abruptly with no signal so I had very little warning and had to brake quickly to avoid a collision. It reminded me of some of this passage as I’ve been reading through Luke 21 this week.

Jesus is warning us again of the distractions of life that get in the way of what is really critical in life.

• Dissipation refers to squandering your money, energy, or resources.
• Drunkenness is another distraction that impairs our judgment.
• And who among us isn’t drawn away at times by the cares of this life?

Jesus doesn’t want that day to sneak up on us “suddenly like a trap.”

Instead, He tells us to “stay awake at all times, praying” for “strength to escape” and “stand before the Son of Man.”

I am reminded of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins –

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“

Matthew 25: 1-13

We don’t know everything about the days we’re living in, but we should always be watching.