Luke 21:34-36
Chapter 21
34
Stay alert: avoid immersing yourself in a life of pleasure, drunkenness, and worldly worries, so that that day does not catch you off guard, like a trap!
35
For, like a snare, that day will come upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
36
But always stay watchful and pray, so that you can escape everything that is about to happen and stand before the Son of Man.
Commentaries
Vigilance and Prayer.
It was clear that the Lucan community was already experiencing discouragement and neglect of evangelization efforts because time was passing and the parousia was not arriving. This invitation from Jesus warns against giving in to apathy and despair. The same situation is seen in the communities of the other evangelists (cf. Mt 24:43-51; Mk 13:33-36).