Lift up your eyes

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:25-28)

Here we are in the middle of Holy Week. Reading through scripture during this time, you can see the uptick in Jesus’ ministry. Up until this point, He and the disciples have been traveling throughout Israel ministering to the people at a “normal” pace – healing the sick, raising the dead, teaching in the synagogues, etc. Now, however, they are going up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. The religious leaders are actively seeking a way to arrest Jesus, so they are stepping up their attacks against Him – trying to get Him to say something or do something that would incriminate Himself. The battle between good and evil is coming together in the city of Jerusalem before all the assembled people. The spotlight has been centered on the stage that is the Feast.

In the middle of answering the challenges and accusations of the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus is trying to teach the people. He is attempting to minister hope to them while facing His prophesied fulfillment of scripture on the Mount called Golgotha. Jesus is speaking to them of fig trees, and vineyards, and pennies – all in an attempt to teach them how to live as His followers. As He enters these last twenty-four hours prior to His arrest, Jesus speaks of the end of our age. That’s where we find our passage today.

It is as if Jesus were looking ahead and reading the front pages of our modern-day newspapers as He describes wars, famines, natural disasters, and the evil men do. He speaks of great fear that will clutch the very hearts of men and women as they (we) see everything spinning wildly out of control. We see this in our world today more than any time in recent history. People are fearing the government, people are fearing unexpected illnesses and death, people are fearing each other, and many fear something – they just can’t put their finger on it. Fear. Fear is a spirit. Paul wrote, in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” May we pray to receive those spirits, may we cultivate those spirits to displace the overpowering spirit of fear in our lives!

Jesus ended this discourse by saying, “...look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Hallelujah! For years, the Church has been accused of being escapist – that we look to escape this world through religion, through separation, through the Rapture of the Church. We have been accused of not caring for those around us, choosing to gather in our enclaves and remain sequestered in our private groups. We gather together, not to separate ourselves from the needs of those around us, but to encourage one another, to learn of God and His Word, and to worship our God. The world worships at the altar of man’s plans and abilities while we worship at the altar that rests at the foot of the Cross.

If ever the world needed Jesus, it is now. We, as Christians, are to spread the Word of Christ’s redemption, of His love, of His care. We attempt to meet the needs of the people around us; however, their greatest need is Jesus. In Him is found the answer to life’s problems. In Him is found healing, wholeness, peace, love, joy, and all the rest. Mankind can offer physical solutions to some things, but most of our needs stem from a spiritual lack. Natural man seeks what he doesn’t understand. Natural man thirsts for something more than the world can offer. He craves only what Jesus can satisfy. We have the answer. In and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are the answer. But they will not listen – just as they didn’t listen to the Master Himself. His words fell on deaf ears just as our message often does. But those who will hear, hear. As Jesus often is quoted as saying, “Those who have ears to hear, let him hear.” We are responsible for spreading the good news, not for the response they give.

I agree that looking around with my earthly eyes can give rise to fear. I get that. However, today I challenge you to do as Jesus commanded: “Look up, lift up your eyes, and behold the Lord.” Look at Him. But more importantly, look to Him. Lean in on Him. Trust Him. Call out to Him in your hour of need. For He, alone, is your salvation. He, alone, is the answer to the cry of your heart. He, alone, is the solution to whatever problem it is your are facing today. HE IS. I AM only in Him. But HE IS.

Truly Christ IS coming again soon. And yes, we look forward to that day when Christ returns to claim His Bride. But in the meantime, we are to cling to Him as the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the ultimate end. Sure, we get to go to heaven and escape the ravages of this world. But in the meantime, we pray as Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done – on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”

Be blessed.