A Distracted Generation (Luke 17:20-37)

The Jewish Pharisees once demanded that Jesus answer them about the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus' answer to them was a prophecy showing the future state of society and the signs that show that His second coming draws near.

I want to point out a significant state of mind that I believe is prevalent these last days - the distractions of the "normal life". I am not saying it is bad to involve yourself in the affairs of daily life, but when these affairs draw too much of your attention, they divert your mind from necessary preparations you should do for the coming of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus said, "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." 

We all have to eat, drink, and people have the right to choose to marry, but during the days of Noah, these activities stood in their path into the ark, which was their only hope of survival at that time. How do we apply this message in our lives today? 

How do we put food on our tables? Many people today rely on money to buy daily necessities especially food and drinks. To get money, they need a source of income like a job or a business. Getting a job is not a sin, but if your mind is fully absorbed into it, you lose focus on the real issue at hand - and that is, THIS WORLD WILL END SOON, WHAT WILL BE YOUR END? 

We can be busy, but we're busy doing things at the wrong time.

Is it wrong to get married? Not at all! "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4) "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22) 

When the affairs of a married life stand in the way of your spiritual journey, this is when it becomes a problem. If marriage is an act of favor from God as Solomon states, why do we have colossal amounts of divorce in the world today? Simple, because people are not doing it right, by this I mean: in the way of God. A marriage done without God's purpose sets itself up for eternal ruin. When Jesus comes again, we will find ourselves unprepared.

I had not even dived into the present culture of dating, BF-GF, premarital-staying-together, a culture that is infested by adultery and fornication! I fear for the lives of the young generation who have been brainwashed to temper with the sacred institution of marriage when their feeble young minds are not ready for its responsibilities and challenges. The results are catastrophic! Our minds are so distracted that we lose track of time. The Day of the Lord will come to us like a thief in the night.

Jesus added in his sermon, "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."

"...they bought, they sold..." The cities in which Lot lived were trade and merchant centers. Buying and selling, or business, was one of the life-bloods of society. Is conducting business bad for us? Not at all, we need to trade and make transactions so we obtain what we need. However, when business gets in the way of God's purpose, it becomes a problem. The people in Lot's time were distracted with day-to-day dealings, their minds were absorbed by the greed to make more profit, making the next move, selling the next big product, getting more sales, how to get customers, how to innovate, etc... Do we see these things happening today? You would have to be blind and deaf to avoid the signs.

"...they builed..." What about real estate? You will also have to be blind and deaf to avoid seeing the vast variety of buildings, properties, and other man-made structures being built today. Many people get a job or start a business, earn a lot of money, buy or build properties, and they do it to such extents that it diverts their mind from this truth: JESUS IS COMING SOON, PREPARE YOURSELVES.

In addition to this, the human race builds one organization one after another in the hope of worldly progress. Nations set goals, build strategies to achieve them while laying aside the eternal purposes of God. Many of us will find out too late that we should have been on a God-ordained path.

Jesus set forth the urgency of being prepared by saying, "...he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE." 

A distracted mind was the peril into which Lot's wife lost her chance for salvation. While her body left the city, her mind and soul were still in it. Many professed Christians will choose this type of mindset at the peril of their own lives and those they influence. The resulting lifestyle will lead those that follow them i.e. family, friends, church members, etc. into the same fate.

"Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." Will you sell your eternal life for $100,000 worth of property? Will you break the laws of God for a well-paid position at a reputable company? Will you choose the pursuit of worldly pleasures over seeking the kingdom of God? What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? What price will he pay to buy his salvation?

Then Jesus goes on to state the difference between those who are saved and those who are not. Both these parties were doing the same thing, "Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." These are activities of a normal life, but one party gets taken away because they seemed to be a problem. The disciples asked Jesus where they were taken, he answered, "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." They were food for the birds which meant they died. This was the fate of those who did not prepare themselves for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

As you examine your life today, ask yourself, "What are some things that divert my mind from preparing my character to meet Jesus? What are some activities and commitments that absorb my mind, making me lose focus on God's will for this time?" Ask God to give you the strength and will power to sacrifice these things, and to empower you with Christ-like faith that trusts in His providence and leading.

I hope to meet you at the gates of heaven one day and hear your testimony. Until then, God bless you.