“Remember Lot’s wife!”
– Jesus, to the disciples speaking of the arrival of his kingdom (Luke 17:32)
“Remember the Alamo!” This battle cry emboldened soldiers seeking revenge for the massacre which took place at the Alamo in 1836. The slogan was intended to bring to mind the earlier battle and thus propel the soldiers into the new fight.
As Jesus spoke of the cataclysmic events that would usher in God’s judgment, he too used a rallying cry – a rhetorical device intended to change his listeners’ attitude and actions. He told them to remember Lot’s wife, who was transformed into a pillar of salt when she looked back at the destruction befalling her city of Sodom.
I’ve always wondered what exactly caused Lot’s wife to look back. The Bible merely records the event and leaves us to wonder about her motivation.
Perhaps it was her past. She couldn’t bear to think of all her memories going up in smoke. Her identity was so wrapped up with her life in Sodom that a rescue apart from her life in Sodom didn’t seem to be a true rescue at all. Maybe Jesus says “Remember Lot’s wife!” with this truth in mind: If you’re too wrapped up in this world, you won’t be prepared for the world to come.
Maybe it was her position. Lot sat in the gate (indicating that the family occupied a place of importance in local society). To think of starting over, of losing her authority, of being humbled… maybe it was too much for her. Perhaps Jesus says “Remember Lot’s wife” with this truth in mind: If you cling to your exalted status, you will lose your life. The only way into the coming kingdom is by renouncing your authority and humbling yourself before the true King.
Or maybe it was her possessions that entangled her heart and kept her from fully embracing the deliverance she was offered. Her life was defined by her possessions. When they were destroyed, she was destroyed. She cast her lot (no pun intended) with her stuff, and when her stuff disappeared, her life ended too. Most likely, Jesus is saying “Remember Lot’s wife” to get across this truth (since he warns people to not go back to their homes): If you focus on the treasure of this world, you will be unprepared on the Day of Judgment. But if you embrace me as your ultimate treasure, you will find the life of the kingdom.
Remember Lot’s wife!
