Luke 21:26, 28 (KJV) – 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
LOOK UP – The phrase, to look up, comes from the Greek word anakypto which means to raise or lift one’s self up; that is, one’s body or one’s soul.
– This Greek word anakypto was formed by combining two words ana (in the sense of reversal) and kypto (meaning to stoop down, bend forward, bow the head).
– So to look up (anakypto) means to unbend the body or unbend the soul; raise the body or soul; reverse the position that the body or soul is currently in.
– Since “men’s heart failing for fear” is the reason for Jesus’ command to look up, then we know the change of position here is speaking of a change of the position of the soul, hence a change of ones attitude.
– This brings us to the final meaning of the phrase LOOK UP. It means to rise – one’s soul – to be elated.
– In summary, Jesus taught what our response should be when calamities come upon the earth that cause men’s hearts to fail for fear. Our response should be to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually unbend so that we can become elated – be overjoyed.
– Our attitude can only receive change when our focus change.
– When we are bent or stooped down, our range of focus is limited to what is on the ground before us; our perspective is earthly. However, when we unbend, our range of focus is now directed towards the heavens and our perspective becomes heavenly.
Colossians 3: 2 (AMPC) – And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16 (NIV) – 9 However, as it is written:“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit…. 16 …. But we have the mind of Christ.
2 Timothy 1:7 (AMPC) – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
DIG DEEPER:
1. Blog Post: Look Up!
2. Prayer Room: Lord Guard My Focus (2)
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO REVISIT:
The Bible Study Series – Change of Focus, Change of Perspective
Blog Post – It Might Just Be an Illusion!
Bible Study – Maintaining Focus