Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:32
I used to think that Lot's wife was stupid. Judgment was coming, and the angels were saving them, but no, she had to look back. She turned into a pillar of salt. What was so great about Sodom?
This succinct command of the Lord Jesus to remember Lot's wife is found in a discussion of the day of the Son of Man. He is warning all who will listen about the coming final judgment. He compares it to past judgments: the days of Noah, the days of Lot. He explains that everyone went about their business, occupied by the world and worldly pleasures, when suddenly judgment fell.
I have posted about Lot, Abraham's nephew, before. He was a righteous man who got caught up in the world. He pitched his tent near Sodom and eventually moved into the city proper. This area was known for wickedness, especially homosexual sin. In the scriptures the word Sodom is used elsewhere figuratively to indicate moral wickedness--and we get our English word "sodomy" from it as well.
But the Bible has a bit more to say about Sodom than that one particular sin.
Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and the needy. Ezek. 16:49 ESV
Granted, the term Sodom is used figuratively here, but it does give us a bigger picture of the literal place. Remember, the reason Lot moved there was because the whole Jordan River valley was lush and well-watered--a great place if you were raising livestock. Undoubtedly the other inhabitants prospered too, with the result that they became rich.
Lot was "vexed" by the wickedness of the inhabitants, but he must have had a reason for eventually moving into the city of Sodom. It may have been a city of commerce. In fact, it probably had the bustle and bustle and general allure that many cities have today. Lot's wife must have enjoyed her house in the city. She undoubtedly had friends. They must have gone shopping or visiting. Since the prophet Ezekiel describes it as a place of much food and "ease," I suspect there may have been entertainments. Imagine any modern American city, with food available everywhere and a cinema down the street.
Then imagine your husband pulling you out of your house and wanting to flee into the hills. Seriously? The message of judgment must have registered at some level, but surely it couldn't happen to Sodom. After all, even if a few houses burned down, the city was wealthy and everything would quickly be back to normal.
Lot's wife had no clue. She had no clue as to the power of God or the true enormity of Sodom's sin. The sexual sin was only a part. In fact, I suppose you could say that folks don't have as much time or opportunity for gross immorality if they are too busy working to feed themselves. And I don't think her heart was enamored by the moral wickedness of the place. She may have excused it in some way. But her longing for Sodom was an attachment to these other things--the wealth, the food, the company, the entertainment. And I doubt if her house looked like a shack. After all, Lot sat in the "gate," which meant that he was a community leader of some kind.
Jesus said as much in our passage. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built--Luke 17:28
Lot's wife had a nice life, and she didn't want to lose it.
Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33
This is the very next verse after the instruction to remember Lot's wife. It is Jesus' own commentary on the subject. The heart of this woman was in the world.
No, she wasn't "stupid," the way we all think of the word. She had a nice life, and valued it more than Jehovah God. How applicable, especially for those of us who are rich. The Bible speaks of riches as anything more than food and clothing (I Tim 6:8).
In Western countries, especially, we have everything Sodom did--and more. Our food is of every kind. We have cable TV, movies with CGI graphics, and every convenience conceivable. We have leisure time with which to enjoy these things, and vacation destinations that are especially crafted as a fantasy land. For those of a more studious bent, we have every book and website available at the touch of a button. If you're an American, you have the added benefit of being a great industrial and military superpower. Plenty of scope for pride.
We prefer to think highly of the U.S.--but in reality, it's Sodom. In a sense, every earthly kingdom possesses some of its traits. In The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan described Christian's trip through "Vanity Fair." A beautiful place, with plenty of shopping and entertainment. But a very, very dangerous for pilgrims.
Remember Lot's wife. Don't be like her.
