Luke 17:31-32 31On that day, let the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house, let him not go down to take away these things, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife.
Jesus continues to warn his disciples about future events and the challenges they would face after his departure. A time of great suffering would come, but disciples must be ready. These verses begin with two illustrations about the need to make haste and be ready. The imagined scene takes place on that day when Jesus will be revealed (verse 30). Some houses in first century Israel had flat roofs with stairs on the outside going up to the roof. The roof was a cool place in the morning or evening. Person might go up there to have a better view or enjoy some fresh air after a day of work. The things in the house are the focus of the two illustrations. When the calamity comes, the one on the room or the person in the field must not turn back and get the things out of the house.
The clue to the meaning is found in verse 32. When Lot and his family were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, his wife disobeyed the Lord’s command: “Escape for your life. Do not look back and do not stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you will be swept away.” Lot’s family faced the same type of urgency Jesus is talking about. Sadly, Lot’s wife turned back and became a pillar of salt.
The implied message could be on two levels. One is the historical setting of either the coming difficult times the followers of Jesus would experience because of persecution or the distant, unknown time of persecution before Jesus’ second coming. The second is a more timeless spiritual application. Do not be attracted by the things of the old life and one’s material possessions. Disciples must flee the things of the world and pursue the spiritual matters of God’s kingdom. Judgment awaits those who are attracted to the things of the world and do not seek God’s kingdom.
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