Luke 17:20-37

content/bible_journal/luke_17:20-37.md

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+title = "Luke 17:20–37"
+date = "2023-01-10"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk17.20-37)
+
+It's funny how most people expect the world to end, at some point, in some way.
+The Pharisees knew from the Old Testament that God would judge the whole earth
+one day, so some of them asked Jesus what they should look for to see it coming
+ahead of time. In typical Jesus fashion, He lets them know that even the
+premise of the question is wrong. They were expecting the Messiah would arrive
+to set up God's kingdom on earth (and He will), but Jesus tells them the
+kingdom of God is already present.
+
+He repeats the warning to His disciples against following anyone who says,
+"Look, here!" for either the Messiah or the kingdom of God. Just as the kingdom
+of God is already among men and we don't have to go anywhere in particular to
+see it, when Jesus returns to the earth, He will be visible to everyone at once
+somehow, and no one will have to announce His presence to anyone else.
+
+His return will come suddenly, because people will be going about their
+day-to-day lives, just like they did before the Flood and the destruction of
+Sodom and Gomorrah. I had written "without warning", but that's not actually
+true. The Bible is full of warnings of God's wrath being poured out on sinners.
+Heed the warning, trust in Jesus, and be saved! Asking for a sign to know when
+the day of judgement is coming is like asking when the inspector will arrive so
+you can procrastinate cleaning up. The point is not to get things ready at the
+last minute, but to be ready all the time. Noah and Lot were just as sinful as
+their neighbors. They weren't rescued because they were good on their own, but
+because they loved the Lord and He made them righteous.
+
+* * *
+
+Make us ready, Lord, so that we may be found blameless upon Your return.