Luke 17:32
Remember Lot’s wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Luke 17:32
Remember Lot’s wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus doesn't just want us to remember Lot's wife, but to understand why she's a warning: her fatal glance back revealed a heart still clinging to the life God commanded her to leave behind. This stark reminder urges us to ensure our affections are fully set on God, not just our feet moving away from destruction.
Jesus is instructing his disciples about the signs and nature of his future return, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and the days of Noah. He warns them not to get distracted by worldly possessions or relationships when that time comes, but to flee without looking back, just as Lot and his family were urged to escape the doomed city. He then adds a stark, unforgettable command: "Remember Lot's wife," urging them to recall her fate as a cautionary tale.
Jesus gives a stark, one-sentence warning: 'Remember Lot’s wife.' What makes her memory so potent for understanding how to face His coming judgment?
Jesus uses the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a parallel to the suddenness of His return and the final judgment. While Noah's day saw people caught in everyday activities like eating and marrying, the destruction of Sodom also involved those engaged in commerce and building. The crucial point Jesus makes is about how people responded when the warning came.
Lot’s wife is the key illustration here. While Lot and his family were urged to flee immediately (Genesis 19:15-17), she hesitated. The text suggests she 'looked back' (Genesis 19:26), and likely lingered or even turned back, perhaps out of attachment to her possessions or her life in Sodom. Jesus’ instruction to 'not look back' (Luke 17:31) is directly contrasted with her fate. Her action wasn't just curiosity; it was a dangerous attachment to the very place God was judging.
Her transformation into a pillar of salt serves as a permanent, visible reminder. It signifies a heart still clinging to the old life, unable to embrace the escape God provided. This isn't about a quick glance; it's about a heart that hasn't truly left Sodom behind, even while physically fleeing.
Why would a simple look back turn someone into a pillar of salt? It reveals a deeper truth about the cost of attachment to the world.
Lot's wife became a monument to the danger of misplaced affection. Her desire for what she was leaving behind—her home, her possessions, her life in Sodom—overrode God's direct command and the urgent warning of angels.
This wasn't just about disobeying a rule; it was about her heart. While Lot’s wife was physically fleeing destruction, her internal focus remained on the doomed city. Her 'look back' signifies that her allegiance, her true longing, was still with Sodom. She hadn't truly committed to the new life God offered.
Jesus uses this to highlight a critical spiritual principle: when our hearts are overly attached to the world—its comforts, its security, its values—we become vulnerable to its destruction. True discipleship requires a decisive break, a willingness to leave behind even cherished things if they hinder our commitment to God's kingdom.
The stark command to 'Remember Lot's wife' draws on a well-known Old Testament narrative that served as a potent symbol of disobedience and attachment to the past, warning Jesus' followers against looking back when escaping impending judgment.
c. 2000 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroys the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone. Lot and his two daughters escape, but Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt.
c. 400 BC
Book of Wisdom Written
The apocryphal Book of Wisdom references Lot's wife as a monument to an unbelieving soul, demonstrating that the story served as a cautionary tale.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Ministry
During His ministry, Jesus delivers teachings about the signs of His coming and the destruction of Jerusalem, using historical examples to illustrate His points.
c. AD 62-67
Gospel of Luke Written
The Gospel of Luke is written, recording Jesus' teaching in Luke 17 and preserving the specific instruction to 'Remember Lot's wife.'
This is the foundational account of Lot's wife, detailing her disobedience and transformation into a pillar of salt for looking back at the destruction of Sodom. It provides the 'why' behind Jesus' stark warning.
Deuteronomy 29:22-23This passage describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by brimstone and salt, directly linking the land to the judgment that befell Lot's wife. It underscores the devastating consequence of turning away from God's commands.
Matthew 24:16-18Jesus gives a similar command in the context of fleeing Jerusalem's destruction: 'let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house, nor let him who is in the field return to get his clothes.' This reinforces the urgency and the need to abandon earthly attachments during times of divine judgment.
Hebrews 11:31This verse mentions the 'righteous Lot' in the context of faith, highlighting that while Lot was saved, his wife's lack of faith and subsequent disobedience led to her destruction. It contrasts the saved with the lost, emphasizing the importance of an obedient heart.
1 Peter 3:20Peter likens the salvation of Noah's ark to baptism, where a 'few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.' This passage, when read alongside Luke's warning, emphasizes that only a few will be truly saved, and that salvation requires a decisive break from the past, unlike Lot's wife who couldn't let go.
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…
barnesLuke 17:32: "Remember Lot's wife."
Remember Lot's wife - See Genesis 19:26 . "She" looked back - she delayed - perhaps she "desired" to take something with her, and God made her a monument of his displeasure. Jesus directed his disciples, when they saw the calamities coming upon the Jews, to flee to the mountains, Matthew 24:16 . He here charges them to be in haste - not to look back - not to delay - but to escape quickly, and to remember that by delaying the wife of Lot lost her life.
Jesus doesn't just want us to remember Lot's wife, but to understand why she's a warning: her fatal glance back revealed a heart still clinging to the life God commanded her to leave behind. This stark reminder urges us to ensure our affections are fully set on God, not just our feet moving away from destruction.
Jesus is instructing his disciples about the signs and nature of his future return, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and the days of Noah. He warns them not to get distracted by worldly possessions or relationships when that time comes, but to flee without looking back, just as Lot and his family were urged to escape the doomed city. He then adds a stark, unforgettable command: "Remember Lot's wife," urging them to recall her fate as a cautionary tale.
Jesus is instructing his disciples about the signs and nature of his future return, drawing parallels to the destruction of Sodom and the days of Noah. He warns them not to get distracted by worldly possessions or relationships when that time comes, but to flee without looking back, just as Lot and his family were urged to escape the doomed city. He then adds a stark, unforgettable command: "Remember Lot's wife," urging them to recall her fate as a cautionary tale.
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"Remember Lot’s wife." — Jesus doesn't just want us to remember Lot's wife, but to understand why she's a warning: her fatal glance back revealed a heart still clinging to the life God commanded her to leave behind. This s…