NOTES for Luk 21:34-36
Jesus concludes His description of the calamities that will befall humanity at the end of time with the inward temptations that can overtake anyone. He warns His disciples against sins that can weigh down the heart. The Lord speaks of the cares of this life, drunkenness, and gluttony, which make the heart increasingly incapable of perceiving God. When we allow earthly life to consume us completely and take first place over spiritual life, it is as if we fall asleep, and it becomes ever harder for us to remain sober and spiritually alert. This final trial can therefore prove the most terrible, because it can cause the coming of the Son of Man to pass unnoticed. The Lord often reveals Himself to us in our daily life, but we are unable to see Him or hear His voice because we are too absorbed in our own lives. We can become so focused on ourselves that we are not even able to notice Christ, who may be very near. This passage warns us against this unfeeling heaviness of heart.