On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just saying to leave your stuff behind; he's emphasizing that your earthly possessions should hold such little sway over you that the thought of retrieving them wouldn't even cross your mind in a moment of crisis. This illustrates that true disciples are those who have already learned to be detached from their worldly goods, ready to abandon them without a second thought when God calls.
On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah. He urges them to be prepared to abandon everything, even their homes and possessions, when the signs of judgment appear. The immediate context emphasizes that this future event will catch many by surprise, just as the flood and fire did, and requires a radical detachment from worldly security.
Imagine you're on your rooftop, enjoying the view, and suddenly you hear a cry: 'Run! Danger is coming!' What's your instinct?
Don't Hesitate, Don't Look Back
Jesus uses vivid imagery here to describe a moment of intense crisis. Whether it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem or the final coming of Christ (or both, as many scholars suggest), the message is the same: when the moment of deliverance or judgment arrives, you cannot afford to be slowed down by your possessions.
This isn't about being materialistic; it's about recognizing that some moments demand an immediate, decisive response where earthly goods must be secondary.
The world often lulls us into a false sense of security, just like it did before Noah's flood. How do we stay alert?
A Life of Radical Readiness
Jesus contrasts the indifference of the world with the necessary preparedness of his followers. The examples of Noah and Lot show a world caught off guard by sudden, divine judgment because they were consumed by the ordinary activities of life – eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building.
Ask a follow-up
Why would Jesus, in a moment of profound warning, bring up the story of a woman who just 'looked back'?
The Peril of Lingering Affection
The story of Lot's wife, mentioned right after the instructions for immediate flight, serves as a crucial, chilling reminder. She wasn't punished for trying to escape, but for her lingering attachment to the life she was leaving behind.
Jesus' instruction to leave everything behind, even valuable possessions, vividly illustrates the urgency and totality of the judgment about to fall on Jerusalem. It's a stark warning against clinging to earthly security when facing divine wrath, mirroring the fate of Lot's wife who hesitated and perished.
c. 1900 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroys the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone. Lot and his daughters escape, but Lot's wife disobeys God and looks back, becoming a pillar of salt.
c. 1440 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites are led out of slavery in Egypt. During their journey, they witness God's powerful intervention and judgment.
c. 70 AD— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman armies besiege and destroy Jerusalem, fulfilling Jesus' prophecies. Many Jews are killed or taken captive, and the Temple israzed.
c. 135 AD
Bar Kokhba Revolt and Second Destruction of Jerusalem
A major Jewish revolt against Roman rule culminates in the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of its Jewish population.
This passage is a parallel account from Matthew, where Jesus gives the same urgent instruction to flee without retrieving possessions, emphasizing the immediacy of the end times.
Genesis 19:26This verse is directly alluded to by Jesus' warning to 'Remember Lot's wife,' highlighting the danger of looking back and attachment to earthly things during times of divine judgment.
Luke 17:33This verse, spoken immediately after the instruction to flee, connects the act of letting go of earthly possessions with the concept of truly saving one's life in God's kingdom.
1 Peter 3:20This passage draws a parallel between Noah's ark saving a few through water and baptism saving believers, illustrating the theme of a select group being preserved amidst a perishing world, which resonates with the 'one taken, one left' concept.
Luke 21:36This verse immediately follows Jesus' description of the signs of the end times and echoes the call to constant vigilance and prayer, urging believers to be ready to escape and stand before Him.
calvinLuke 17:26-37: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."
- But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that came before the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day when Noah entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the deluge came, [160] and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40. Two men shall then be in the field…
gillLuke 17:31: "In that day, 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."
In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop,.... Either for diversion or devotion, when he shall hear that the Roman armies are approaching to Jerusalem, to besiege it: and his stuff in the house; or "his vessels", his goods and furniture; or his utensils, and instruments of trade and business: let…
Jesus isn't just saying to leave your stuff behind; he's emphasizing that your earthly possessions should hold such little sway over you that the thought of retrieving them wouldn't even cross your mind in a moment of crisis. This illustrates that true disciples are those who have already learned to be detached from their worldly goods, ready to abandon them without a second thought when God calls.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah. He urges them to be prepared to abandon everything, even their homes and possessions, when the signs of judgment appear. The immediate context emphasizes that this future event will catch many by surprise, just as the flood and fire did, and requires a radical detachment from worldly security.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah. He urges them to be prepared to abandon everything, even their homes and possessions, when the signs of judgment appear. The immediate context emphasizes that this future event will catch many by surprise, just as the flood and fire did, and requires a radical detachment from worldly security.
"On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back." — Jesus isn't just saying to leave your stuff behind; he's emphasizing that your earthly possessions should hold such little sway over you that the thought of retrieving them wouldn't even cross your m…
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Last reviewed October 2026