Introduction

During a discourse with the Pharisees, He makes a three-word statement that should be very familiar, not only to them but also, to us.

This discourse, similar to what we read in Matthew 24, talks about the destruction of Jerusalem. He gives a breakdown of events that are to precede this event and warn them to flee the city. Here, in Luke, Jesus goes back to the Old Testament and talks of Lot and his family.

“Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:28-32)

Notice the three words that Jesus states in verse 32, remember Lot’s wife. This is the focus for today’s article.

The Story of Lot

When Abram and his family left their country (Gen. 12:1) he took his nephew, Lot, and his family along. In chapter 13, they arrived at some land. Abram and Lot went in opposite directions as the land wouldn’t support the herds of both men.

Later, Lot found himself living in the city of Sodom and God was about to destroy the city, along with its twin, Gomorrah. The story picks up in chapter 19 when two angels arrived, and Lot bid them to lodge with him. Given that the town was full of wicked individuals, he wanted to make sure that they were well-protected.

In the same hour of the night, the angels told Lot to gather his family and flee to the mountains as they were going to destroy the city. His sons-in-law didn’t believe his plea and they were left in the city. Lot gathered his wife and their two daughters.

One of the angels said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17) However, Lot convinced them to allow him and his family to escape to a city called Zoar. The conclusion of this story is as follows, The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:23-26)

The Connection to The Jew

Jesus discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem served as a warning to his disciples that when the signs appeared of the pending destruction, they were to flee from the city and not look back. They were to leave all behind and make haste to the mountains. Lot’s wife was one who chose to look back at Sodom; presumably to look one last time at her home, her friends, and her life in the city. Because of this, she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Jesus’ warning was not that they were to receive the same punishment but to no longer dwell on the past and to move ahead and look towards the future.

The Connection to The Christian

When we obey the gospel, we become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). We cast off the old man of sin and put on the new man of righteousness (Eph. 4:22-24). As a babe in Christ, we desire to be fed with the milk of His Word (1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:13).

As we grow in the faith, we are not to look back on our previous lives. It’s one thing to remember where we came from and where we are headed, but a lot of people prefer to dwell on their past. They sometimes see it as better as they don’t have to abide by “so many rules” of the gospel.

Jesus warned those in Luke 9 when he said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) If we spend too much time looking at our past, we won’t be good examples to those around us. They’ll soon realize that being a Christian is no different than being worldly.

The apostle Paul stated, Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17) Christians need to be different as we live a different life. That is why we cast off the old man of sin (Rom. 6:6-7)

Conclusion

“Remember Lot’s wife” is a good mantra for us to remember. Leave the past where it is, in the past. Don’t try to dwell on it or else it will mar your present and hamper your future. For our sake, we need to keep running the race (1 Cor. 9:24).