Luke 17:22-30 - Will You Be Prepared?

26 Andas it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son ofMan: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed themall. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, theybought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot wentout of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. InLuke 17, Jesus, on His way to Jerusalem, has been especially teaching Hisdisciples about forgiveness (vv. 1-6), faithfulness (vv. 7-10), and thankfulness(vv. 11-19). In verse 20, the Pharisees brought up the subject of the coming ofthe “Kingdom of God”, referring to the time when the Messiah would set up Hiskingdom on earth. Jesus reminded them to quit looking for a physical, political,and material kingdom and to look for a spiritual one (v. 21).Thenin Luke 17:22-30, Jesus turns and speaks to His disciples about His return, theday of the Son of Man. Today, this passage challenges us to live withreadiness, not distracted by the world’s noise or lulled into complacency.Jesus uses vivid Old Testament examples to show how sudden and certain Hiscoming will be, urging us to stay faithful and alert.Jesus warnsHis disciples that a time will come when they’ll long for His presence, but itwon’t be as they expect. False voices will cry out, “He’s here! He’s there!”but Jesus says not to chase them. His return will be unmistakable, likelightning flashing across the sky. It will be sudden, visible to all, andimpossible to miss (Read Revelation 1:7; and 19:11-16). Yet, before that day,He must suffer and be rejected, a reminder that the path to glory goes throughthe cross (v. 25).Todrive home the urgency, Jesus points to two Old Testament events: the days ofNoah and the days of Lot. In both, people were consumed with everydaylife—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, building. There’s nothingwrong with these activities, but the problem was their focus. They were sowrapped up in the ordinary that they ignored the warnings of coming judgment. BothNoah and Lot lived in days of religious compromise and moral declension, notunlike our present time. During "the days of Noah," population growthwas significant (Gen. 6:1), lawlessness was on the increase (Gen. 6:5), and theearth was given over to violence (Gen. 6:11, 13). In Lot's day, the unnaturallusts of Sodom and Gomorrah were so abhorrent to God that He completelydestroyed the cities. Only Lot, two of his daughters, and his wife (who laterwas destroyed) were saved from the terrible judgment.Jesussays it will be the same when He returns. The world will be caught off guard,living as if life will go on forever. But for those who follow Him, the call isclear: stay awake, stay faithful, and don’t get lulled into spiritual sleep.This isn’t about obsessing over dates or signs but about living each day withpurpose, doing God’s work, and keeping our hearts fixed on Him. The suddennessof His coming isn’t meant to scare us but to spur us to live differently. To beready, expectant, and aligned with His kingdom.So,here’s the challenge for us this week: Live ready. Take a moment each morningto ask yourself, “If Jesus returned today, would I be found displaying thereality of Jesus Christ in my life. Living a life of forgiveness, faithfulness,and thankfulness because of my faith and love for the Lord?”  Today, identify one area where you’re temptedto drift into complacency—maybe it’s neglecting prayer, chasing distractions,or ignoring a call to serve. Commit to one intentional action to counter thatdrift.  Maythe Lord help us to be prepared for His coming living with eternity in view andnot be caught off guard like the world was in Noah’s or Lot’s day. Will you be readywhen He comes?