29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Luke 21:29-33 KJV)
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Here, in the close of this discourse,
Christ appoints his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they could judge by, if they paid attention to the previous instructions, just as certainly as they could judge the approach of summer by the budding of trees (Luke 21:29-31). As in nature there is a chain of causes, so in providence there is a sequence of events. When we see a nation filling up the measure of its sin, we can conclude that its ruin is near; when we see the fall of persecuting powers, we may infer that the kingdom of God is near at hand—when opposition is removed, it will advance.
As we can rightly predict the change of seasons from visible signs, so in the course of God’s providence we can expect something significant when God rises up from his holy habitation (Zechariah 2:13); then stand still and see his salvation.
He charges them to consider these things as neither uncertain nor far off, but as definite and near. The destruction of the Jewish nation was near (Luke 21:32): “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Some who were alive at that moment would live to see it.
It was also certain and irreversible (Luke 21:33): “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Whether believed or not, they will take effect and not fail (1 Samuel 3:19).
He cautions them against complacency and indulgence, which would make them unprepared for the trials ahead and turn them into a surprise and terror (Luke 21:34-35): “Take heed to yourselves.” This is the command given to all Christ’s disciples—to be on guard so that temptations don’t overpower them and their own sinful tendencies don’t betray them. We cannot be safe if we are careless. It’s important at all times, especially at critical times, to be vigilant.
Our danger is that the day of death or judgment may come upon us unexpectedly, when we are unprepared—when we are called to meet the Lord, and that meeting is the last thing on our minds, though it should always be foremost. It may come as a snare to many who live focused only on earthly things, with no concern for heaven (Ecclesiastes 9:12). It will terrify and trap them, leading to a fate even more dreadful.
Our duty, in view of this danger, is to make sure our hearts are not weighed down and rendered spiritually sluggish. Two things especially we must watch against:
(1) Giving in to bodily appetites and indulging in excessive pleasures: “Take heed lest you be overcharged with carousing and drunkenness”—the overuse of food and drink burdens the heart not just with guilt, but with the dulling effects on the mind and conscience. These things deaden the soul and make it unresponsive to what matters most.
(2) The excessive pursuit of worldly gain: the heart is weighed down by the cares of this life. This is the snare of busy people focused on getting rich. We must guard against both temptations—not just at the time of death, but at all times. Our vigilance against sin and our care for our souls must be constant.