Weighed Down

Passage: Luke 21:29-36

As his time with the disciples nears its end, Jesus talks more and more about the end of time. Jesus claims that his return could be anytime, and that his disciples have to live the rest of their lives as though today might be the day. Jesus presents the day of his return as a day of judgment. A day on which one wouldn’t want to be caught unprepared. He warns his disciples to live in a state of constant readiness.

In his discourse in Luke 21, Jesus reiterates his warning. In particular he says,

“Be careful, or your heart will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life.”

We tend to assume that the Bible is full of pronouncements against the stuff of life that is most enticing and enjoyable. The Christian life gets a bad rap because it’s considered “anti-fun.” Jesus puts a different spin on it. He says, “The stuff that you substitute for the stuff of the Kingdom isn’t fun. It only weighs you down.”

Jesus invites us to consider a life of freedom. Freedom from the constraints of self-indulgence and addiction. Freedom from the oppression of anxiety. It’s not a bad life. In fact, it’s the best kind of life. Stop and think about the things that weigh you down. Worry about money. Worry about social standing and job performance. Fatigue from the steady pull of habits that only make you feel good temporarily. What would it feel like to have the weight lifted off?