Luke 21:25-36 (NIV)
Read by: Josh Haupt
Passages like the one you’ll hear today are often puzzling to modern ears. It’s easy for us to miss what the language is referring to since we’re not familiar with the cultural context. This passage talks about everything from the sun, moon and stars to roaring seas to fig trees. What are we supposed to make of that? Some people read this passage and hear it referring to the end of the age and the second coming of Jesus. Others hear Jesus referring to the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. We’re more convinced by the latter, but whatever the case, this passage has Jesus communicating to his disciples about what to do when their world gets turned upside down.
Try not to get caught up on the imagery itself. Rather focus on what the imagery is trying to convey. For instance we aren’t bothered by someone saying that 2020 has felt like getting hit by a train. We get it! We know they don’t mean it literally, but we also don’t diminish the turmoil that they refer to. Jesus knows that these disciples are going to see something they could never imagine… and when they see it, he’s calling them to remember… he’s calling them to hope.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What did you hear in the passage? Was there a word or phrase that stood out to you?
2. Did anything in this passage give you reason to hope?
3. Take some time today to sit with the words of this passage. If there is something specific God has spoken to you, take some time to process that alone or with a friend.
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Living The Christian Year by Bobby Gross >>
Bible Project: Apocalyptic Literature Podcast Series >>
Bible Project: Luke >>
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