Luke 17:31

My Notes

What Does Luke 17:31 Mean?

"In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back." Jesus describes the URGENCY of the coming judgment: if you're on the rooftop, DON'T GO BACK for your belongings. If you're in the field, DON'T RETURN to the house. The survival response must be IMMEDIATE — no time for retrieval, no opportunity for packing, no pause for possessions. The urgency eliminates every backward motion.

The phrase "let him not come down to take it away" (mē katabatō arai auta — let him not come down to take his things) means the housetop-person must LEAVE WITHOUT POSSESSIONS: the things in the house — the valuables, the clothing, the treasured objects — must be ABANDONED. The survival that requires speed can't accommodate the retrieval that requires time. The going-down to get stuff is the going-down that gets you caught.

The "let him likewise not return back" (homoiōs mē epistrepsatō eis ta opisō — likewise let him not turn back to the things behind) means the field-worker must KEEP GOING: don't turn around. Don't reverse direction. The things behind — the house, the possessions, the former life — are behind for a reason. The returning is the dying. The looking back is the losing.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What are you going back for that might cost you more than it's worth?
• 2.How does the urgency eliminating every backward motion describe the nature of critical moments?
• 3.What does 'let him not return back' teach about the danger of attachment to what's behind?
• 4.What stuff are you descending from the rooftop to retrieve — and is it worth the risk?

Devotional

Don't go back for your stuff. Don't turn around for what you left behind. The urgency of the coming moment eliminates every backward motion. The rooftop person must leave without descending. The field worker must leave without returning. The survival requires FORWARD movement only.

The 'let him not come down to take it away' is the command that prioritizes LIFE over STUFF: your possessions are in the house. You're on the roof. The destruction is imminent. And Jesus says: DON'T GO DOWN. The stuff isn't worth the time. The retrieval costs more than the retrieval saves. The things you own aren't worth the life you'd risk going back for them.

The 'let him likewise not return back' is the same principle for the field-worker: you're already IN THE FIELD — you're already AWAY from the house. Don't go BACK. The distance you've already achieved is your advantage. The returning erases the advantage. The backward motion is the dangerous motion. The things behind are less valuable than the direction ahead.

The verse echoes Lot's wife (verse 32 — 'remember Lot's wife'): the woman who LOOKED BACK became a pillar of salt. The turning was the dying. The attachment to what was behind prevented the escape to what was ahead. The lesson is the same: when the moment demands forward, don't go backward. When the urgency says 'leave now,' don't say 'let me just grab one thing.'

What are you going back for that might cost you what going forward would save?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture