Luke 21:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Our Lord declared above the fearful and sensible signs of the evils which should overtake sinners, against which the only remedy is watching and prayer, as it is said, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time, &c.

Consequently, one of His disciples states that the day of the Lord will arrive unexpectedly, akin to a thief; on that day, the heavens will be abruptly dissolved, the elements will be consumed by fire, and the earth along with all its deeds will be set ablaze. He further interjects, with all these things destined for destruction, what manner of people ought we to be in order to be found holy, blameless, and pure in His sight? Christ Himself admonishes, therefore, to remain vigilant at all times and to pray that it may be granted to escape all the trials that are to come and to stand before the Son of Man. For we will all stand before His judgment seat to account for our actions. Yet, in His goodness and compassion towards humanity, Christ will extend mercy to those who love Him; with whom and through whom God the Father, belongs all glory and authority, in communion with the Holy Spirit, forever, Amen.

This is supposed to be that flight which Matthew mentions; which must not be in the winter or on the sabbath day. To the winter belong the cares of this life, which are mournful as the winter, but to the sabbath surfeiting and drunkenness, which drowns and buries the heart in carnal luxury and delight, since on that day the Jews are immersed in worldly pleasure, while they are lost to a spiritual sabbath.

Every animal has within itself certain instincts which it has received from God, for the preservation of its own being. Wherefore Christ has also given us this warning, that what comes to them by nature, may be ours by the aid of reason and prudence: that we may flee from sin as the brute creatures shun deadly food, but that we seek after righteousness, as they wholesome herbs. Therefore saith He, Take heed to yourselves, that is, that you may distinguish the noxious from the wholesome. But since there are two ways of taking heed to ourselves, the one with the bodily eyes, the other by the faculties of the soul, and the bodily eye does not reach to virtue; it remains that we speak of the operations of the soul.

Pray for your deliverance from all forthcoming tribulations. Some interpret this as the Lord referring to the impending judgment on Jerusalem while simultaneously indicating the conclusion of the age. "There shall be escape for you," for in that resurrection, turmoil and distress will surround all who attain it imperfectly. Others suggest that this message was specifically directed to the apostles, encouraging them to persevere even if the sun were to vanish on the sixth day.

Be vigilant regarding your own selves, ensuring that your hearts remain steadfast so that you might evade the coming tribulations. In the fifty-eighth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, seek clarity on the verse, “Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come.” And stand in the presence of the Son of Man, ready to be before Christ alongside the angels.

Drunkenness is an excessive use of wine; crapula1 is the uneasiness, and nausea attendant on drunkenness, a Greek word so called from the motion of the head. And a little below. As then we must partake of food lest we suffer hunger, so also of drink lest we thirst, but with still greater care to avoid falling into excess. For the indulgence of wine is deceitful, and the soul when free from wine will be the wisest and best, but steeped in the fumes of wine is lost as in a cloud.

He taught them therefore to take heed unto the things we have just before mentioned, lest they fall into the indolence resulting therefrom. Hence it follows, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass.

As if He says, Beware lest the eyes of your mind wax heavy. For the cares of this life, and surfeiting, and drunkenness, scare away prudence, shatter and make shipwreck of faith.

Now supposing a physician should bid us beware of the juice of a certain herb, lest a sudden death overtake us, we should most earnestly attend to his command; but when our Saviour warns us to shun drunkenness and surfeiting, and the cares of this world, men have no fear of being wounded and destroyed by them; for the faith which they put in the caution of the physician, they disdain to give to the words of God.

The remembrance and teaching of God constitute a sacred institution, instituted by the very Word of God, who took on human form and affirmed by the Holy Spirit through His messengers, the Apostles. The Lord entrusted His disciples with the exhortation, "Watch ye praying at all times" (Luke 21:36). This call extends to us as well, as we stand before Him, pleading for the ability to fulfill His will and embody the essence of true discipleship—not merely in name but in our daily lives.

The teachings found in the Scriptures and the words of the prophets call us to maintain a continuous attitude of prayer. As King David proclaimed, I will bless the Lord at all times (Psalm 33:1). The Apostle Paul instructs us to pray without ceasing and to express gratitude for all things (1 Thess. 5:17). Moreover, our Lord urges us to remain watchful and to pray continually (Luke 21:36). Thus, every devout Christian, adhering to the guidance of Holy Scripture, should engage in prayer with both heart and voice at all times, whether standing or walking, and must strive to do so. In doing so, they will experience profound peace and joy, as many have attested.

The Lord emphasized the importance of alertness and responsibility, conveying to His disciples the necessity of vigilance, diligence, and faithfulness in such times. "Watch therefore: for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come." Without My presence, you are entrusted as stewards of the household. The master of the house remains attentive, ever wary of a thief who may intrude and disrupt his dwelling. Consider instead your condition after My ascension, as stewards to whom the master has entrusted the household during his absence. How unfortunate for the servant who squanders his master's resources carelessly; yet truly blessed is the steward who, upon the master's return, finds himself commended, with no grievances against him and all being pleased with his management.

Jesus Christ's addresses to His disciples about the necessity of vigilance in anticipation of the uncertain return of the Son of Man are etched in the memories of every Jewish follower. The Gospel of Luke includes a concise directive on this topic, followed by a summation of Jesus' life and ministry from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper. Mark recounts the parable of the servants and the gatekeeper who await their master, while Matthew shares four parables: 1) the parable of the homeowner endangered by a thief, 2) the parable contrasting faithful and unfaithful stewards, 3) the parable of the wise and foolish maidens, 4) the parable of the talents, culminating in a depiction of the final judgment.

In this discussion, Jesus Christ emphasizes the urgency of His Second Coming, calling on all His followers to remain vigilant. He warns them repeatedly against being complacent and overly attached to earthly possessions and concerns. Instead, He encourages them to be spiritually awake and ready at all times to greet Him with a pure heart. He illustrates this by comparing the situation to a homeowner who, if aware of when a thief would arrive, would only need to stay alert at that moment. However, because the thief's arrival time is unknown, the owner must remain watchful throughout the night. Similarly, one should always be prepared, as the Son of Man will come at an hour unexpected.

That day will arrive unexpectedly, serving as a day of reward for all devoted servants while simultaneously acting as a day of judgment for those who have not fully embraced their purpose and are unprepared for this significant event. To deeply engrain this message of vigilance and fidelity into their hearts, and to reinforce the warning against the perils of a negligent life and the extinguishing of their watchful spirit, He conveyed to them two parables: the ‘ten virgins’ and the ‘talents’ (Matthew 25). These stories are notable for their clarity and abundance of spiritual insight.

"Remain vigilant and pray": ongoing spiritual alertness and prayer (Matt. 26:41) are the most reliable ways to stay prepared for the day of reckoning, while also evading the disasters that will occur leading up to that day of reckoning. - "To stand before the Son of Man": to face judgment for justification from Him (cf. Rom. 14:4, Rev. 6:17).