"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with
dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will
not come on 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
Prior to making this statement, Jesus spoke vividly about the coming end times and all the signs leading up to it. He spoke about the destruction of Herod's temple, wars and Christian persecutions, the destruction of Jerusalem and the signs we'd see right before His return. He followed it with a warning in the verses above.
The word "dissipation" in the Greek is
κραιπάλη, ης, ἡ. It's a noun and it means to over indulge whether in food, drink and any other excess or self indulgence. Drunkeness is self explanatory, but then He states, "the worries of life".
Being on guard has the idea of high alert and vigilance. Every sound, every movement is met with readiness. Think of a soldier in a war zone. He's not drinking from his canister, crying to his mom over the phone, playing video games or flipping through a catalog picking all the material things he's going to buy when he gets home while faced with the enemy. He has his weapon in hand, he's aware of the slightest sounds and movement and every muscle in his body is tense and ready to spring into action any second.
The warning for us in these verses that followed the signs of the end and the lesson of the fig tree, is to look around us. We are surrounded by the enemy in enemy territory who will throw every tactic under the sun at us. We see the signs. We know His return is close, even at the door. He's saying "Watch yourselves! Don't become distracted and weighed down by worldly pleasures, self indulgence, partying, drinking, drugs (whether illegal or to help us cope) or let worries and stresses, struggles, heartaches or troubles take your attention away from what's coming."
In our society and culture the days are becoming increasingly darker and we're surrounded by the blackness of evil. We tend to use forms of escapism to distract ourselves from the stress of it all. The very foundations of our the world are being shaken. Economies are collapsing. Entire societies are imploding. We're worried about our own jobs and financial security. We're worried about the future of our own nation. We're worried about terrorism. The culture has shifted dramatically. Going through a economic collapse would be catastrophic because people are more wicked and iniquity abounds.
We use the internet, TV, movies, music, partying, drinking, drugs, etc., to distract ourselves and get our minds off of what's happening around us. We accept the notion we deserve to indulge ourselves with the world and all it offers because we've worked hard, had a tough week, went through a serious financial, mental, emotional or physical upheaval. The world advocates and presses the idea of over indulgence, treating yourself to all it offers because you deserve it.
It's all a smoke screen. It's a tactic of the enemy who knows our own sinful, selfish nature better than we do. It's a dangling of the carrot. It's an attempt to start a fire in another corner to get your attention off the elephant in the room and Satan is well aware of what the elephant in the room is. Jesus warns us not to fall for it. He's telling us to keep our eyes on Him and not what's around us because He's at the door. What's coming through the door is far greater and more devastating than anything happening around us.
The final sobering warning is if we allow ourselves to be distracted, that day will close on us like a trap. If we see the signs then we should be expecting Him and preparing for Him. The trap will close on those who've become so distracted they no longer think about it therefore expect it. Like a bear or deer wandering its usual territory suddenly finds itself caught in a trap it never expected, so are we wandering with the world. We no longer pay attention or are alert. We follow the same paths day after day and life moves along, but soon enough we will find a trap slamming down on us.
By all worldly accounts we should be worried. We should be entering panic mode with the state of our society, world and mankind in general. The sin nature's course of alleviating that panic is self indulgence and escapism through several means. Yet, Jesus warns us not to do it. Because of the increase of wickedness and the deep furrows we all bear from it, we tend to sink into ourselves by throwing elaborate pity parties and keeping our focus on us and/or the wrongs against us. Yet, Jesus warns us not to fall for it.
We must be vigilant and on high alert. Nothing is out of God's control and every frightening sight or news we hear about has already been known and being brought about according to God's plan and purposes.
"Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD." Zephaniah: 2:3
This is what should be weighing on our hearts and we should be concerned with.
We should be in prayer, study and preparing for His arrival. If you've found yourself focused on the fire in the corner while ignoring the elephant in the room or following the carrot then first, praise God for the warning He gives to all of us. Second, be thankful He's pointed it out to you. Next, act on it lest that day close on you like a trap.
The Master of the house is at the door.
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