The selection from Luke is a parallel passage of the reading from the 33rd Sunday of OT Year B, the eschatological discourse of Mark 13. In the present selection, the saying about the fig tree is skipped by the liturgy. Verses 25-28 and 34-36 which contain sayings that are properly Lucan in character are presented.
Roaring of the Sea
The image of the roaring sea and waves is based on creation myths where Yammu -- god of chaos and depicted like a monstrous reptilian beast -- battles the God of Life. Creation occurs when Yammu is defeated. In the language of the bible, the Sea has been tamed by the Creator God and is given its rightful place. It cannot cross its boundaries since it is Yahweh who has established the borders it cannot cross (cf. Psalm 104, Job). In the gospels, the Sea is like a beast that is controlled by Jesus. In Luke 8:22-25 (and parallels) Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea to instill calm and bring peace to the hearts of his disciples.
In the apocalyptic language of Luke 21:25, the roaring of the sea and waves is a metaphor for the upheavals of human history. The "sun, moon and stars" are the markers of days and months and years. Sailors look to the stars for direction and explorers follow the sun as they trek through the land. The phases of the moon and the movement of the stars through the night sky mark the transit of the seasons; for priests and high priests, these mark the time of festivals and feasts. The ancients read the sun, the moon and the stars in much the same way as we now consult compasses, barometers, the calendar, the clock, graphic charts and indexes. A change in the "signs" that are given would cause either concern or delight. In the last days, the signs will be so disturbing that people will be confused and disturbed. Human history itself will be in turmoil. In parallel passages we read: "Nations will rise against nations, and there will be earthquakes..."
Son of Man
Luke uses the title Son of Man in much the same way as Mark uses it, as an oblique self-reference of Jesus. But Luke does speak of the Day of the Son of Man that is not found in the other gospels(17:22.24.26.30). Here, the reference is clearly to the "Son of Man" figure in Daniel applied to Jesus when he comes in glory and in judgment.
Hearts Grown Drowsy...
Literally "your hearts grow sleepy with satiety and drunkenness...". The expression echoes some of Paul's statements for Christians of the last days
- Romans 13:11 And this: knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunken are drunken in the night.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
- Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit,
Images evoked by the expression of hearts grown drowsy remind one of the day of the Son of Man sayings in Luke 17: 26-30
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;29 but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 "Even thus shall it be in the Day when the Son of Man is revealed.
One who gets sleepy due to satiety and drunkenness is one who has been feasting. As in Paul, Luke uses the image for the heart that is unprepared for the Day of the Lord.
Anxieties of Life
In Luke 8:14, the anxieties of life together with wealth and the pleasures of the world choke the seed sown by the sower. In the gospels, the anxieties of life are typified by the worry over food and over clothing, that is, health and prestige (cf. Luke 12:22).
Pray always
Luke adds "pray always" to the command "Be vigilant". Luke emphasizes prayer in his gospel. He not only speaks of the many times that Jesus prayed, he also provides materials on prayer that is not found in other gospels, e.g. Luke 18, the prayer of the widow (example of persistent prayer) and that of the publican (prayer of humility and confession). Vigilance and unceasing prayer are for Luke the characteristics of those who wait for the coming of the Lord. Among the examples given in Luke's parables of prayer, those of the widow (Luke 18:1-8) and the importunate friend (Luke 11:5-13) are examples of praying always. In their persistent begging, both the widow and the importunate friend get what they want. There is however one additional note at the end of the parable of the persistent widow, and this is regarding the mention of the "Son of Man."
1 ¶ And he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray and not to faint, 2 Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God nor regarded man. 3 And there was a certain widow in that city; and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary. 4 And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God nor regard man, 5 Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.
6 And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night? And will he have patience in their regard? 8 I say to you that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?
The parable is presented as one on prayer that is unceasingly and never hopeless. Yet towards the end of the story it becomes a parable of hope in judgment. The mention of the Son of Man, here, is consistent with its use in Luke 17 as a title for the Judge of the Last Days. And the question it leaves is a question that serves as a warning for those who should be waiting for His return but would be found unprepared.
Stand Erect
A uniquely Lucan statement is found in v. 28. In the coming of the Son of Man, the disciples are exhorted to stand erect with their heads held high, the posture of those who are ready to stand before the Son of Man (v. 34). The image can be that of a victor's roll call about to be made. Standing erect and heads held high is the direct opposite of the posture of those who cannot face the judge. An example of this latter is in Psalm 1 about the wicked who will not rise to stand -- because they remain cowering -- in judgment.
In Paul, there one finds a similar expression
11 ¶ And this: knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.
(cf. Rom. 10:11-13)
When Augustine of Hippo read this passage at the garden in Milan, he took it as a call to baptism. For the Christian nowadays, it is a call to be faithful to one's baptismal vows. The white garment one wears in baptism is a sign of the new life that one has received from Christ, a life characteristic of those who have become children of the light (cf. Ephesians 5:1ff).
The Christian Of The Last Days
Jesus's eschatological discourse in Luke should be read in in conjunction with the sayings about the Son of Man in Luke 17. For the Son of Man who comes in Judgment is the Son of Man who walked with the disciples and who gave his life for them. When he comes in glory, those who have rejected him will cower in fear and trembling, but for his disciples, he comes in fulfillment of the promises given to them. Thus, the day of the Son of Man is a day that the disciple should look forward to. It is fitting that the Church begins the liturgical year (C) with this exhortation in Luke. It summarizes the whole Advent preparation in two words: "Be vigilant" and "pray unceasingly": "Be vigilant" , that is, "unsleeping" because the Lord can come anytime; "Pray unceasingly" because the Christian waits, fully knowing that everything is at the disposition of the One whom Jesus has revealed as "Abba", "Dad" (cf. Luke 11:12).
