“Remember Lot’s wife.” – Luke 17:32
With just three words, Jesus delivered one of the most sobering warnings in the entire Bible. He didn’t expound. He didn’t add commentary. He simply said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” This brief command carries a weight that echoes across centuries. It is a call to vigilance, a caution against divided hearts, and a reminder of what is at stake in the believer’s walk with God.
To remember Lot’s wife is to reflect on a story of grace offered but not received, of deliverance within reach but lost through disobedience, and of attachment to the world over allegiance to God.
The Context: A City Under Judgment
Lot’s wife appears in Genesis 19. She and her family lived in Sodom, a city known for its wickedness and rebellion against God. Because of Abraham’s intercession and God’s mercy, Lot and his family were warned to flee before destruction came. The angels who visited their home gave them clear instructions:
“Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” – Genesis 19:17
This was not a suggestion; it was a divine command — urgent, clear, and vital for their survival. And yet, Lot’s wife looked back, and in doing so, she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Why did Jesus — over a thousand years later — tell His disciples to remember this woman?
1. A Heart That Longed for the World
Lot’s wife physically left Sodom, but her heart never did. She was walking toward safety with her feet, but her heart was still bound to the past. She looked back, not just with her eyes, but with desire, attachment, and regret.
Sodom represented more than a city; it represented a life of comfort, possessions, identity, and relationships. Perhaps she was grieving over her home, her friends, or the life of luxury she was leaving behind. But Jesus made it clear: when God calls you out, looking back is a sign of rebellion.
“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62
Her story teaches us that partial obedience is disobedience. God does not just call us to walk away from sin; He calls us to detach our hearts from it.
2. A Warning to the Lukewarm Christian
Lot’s wife is a symbol of the lukewarm believer — one who begins the journey of salvation but fails to endure. She represents those who hear the Word, respond to the call, but fall in love again with the world.
Jesus warned about this in the parable of the sower. Some seed falls among thorns — and though it springs up, it is choked by the cares and pleasures of life (Luke 8:14). That was Lot’s wife: rescued by grace, but choked by longing for her old life.
Are you walking toward God but constantly glancing back at your past?
- Do you mourn the loss of your sinful habits more than you rejoice in your salvation?
- Do you obey God outwardly but crave the world inwardly?
- Are you holding on to old relationships, memories, or habits that God told you to leave behind?
To remember Lot’s wife is to examine the condition of our hearts, not just our actions.
3. The Cost of Disobedience
Lot’s wife died not in Sodom, but outside of it. She had nearly escaped. She had almost made it. And yet, she perished because she could not let go.
Her story reveals the tragic reality of those who are “almost saved.” It is possible to be in the company of the righteous, to walk the path of deliverance, to witness God’s power — and still fall short because of disobedience.
Scripture repeatedly reminds us that it’s not how we start the race that matters, but how we finish:
“He who endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 24:13
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” – Philippians 2:12
Lot’s wife didn’t endure. She disobeyed. And her end serves as a memorial to all who would follow God halfheartedly.
4. Jesus’ Use of Her Story: A Message for the End Times
In Luke 17, Jesus was talking about the coming of the Kingdom of God — a time of judgment and sudden separation. In that context, He said, “Remember Lot’s wife.”
Why? Because in the final days, the temptation to hold on to worldly things will grow stronger. The urgency to escape spiritual destruction will be met with distraction. Jesus was telling His followers: when the time comes to flee spiritually, don’t hesitate.
“Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” – Luke 17:33
Lot’s wife tried to preserve her past, and she lost her future. She tried to cling to life as she knew it, and she lost the life God was offering.
Jesus calls us to be ready — to flee from sin, to walk in obedience, and to keep our eyes forward.
5. How to Avoid the Fate of Lot’s Wife
To avoid becoming like Lot’s wife, we must live with intentionality and surrender:
a. Let Go of the Past
You cannot walk in the fullness of God’s plan while clinging to the past. Whether it’s sin, shame, success, or sorrow — let it go. Paul said:
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on…” – Philippians 3:13–14
b. Stay Focused on the Kingdom
Don’t let worldly distractions pull your gaze. Set your eyes on Jesus and the hope of glory. Lot’s wife looked back because she lost sight of the destination.
c. Obey Immediately and Fully
When God says move, move. When He says stop, stop. Delayed or partial obedience is disobedience. Trust His commands, even when they seem difficult.
d. Cultivate a Heart That Loves God More Than the World
The heart is the battleground. Ask God to purify your desires so that you love Him above all. Only a heart captivated by Christ will not look back.
Conclusion: A Pillar of Salt, A Monument of Warning
Lot’s wife stands as a permanent warning to believers: salvation is not about location, association, or intention — it’s about the heart’s direction. She was close to the finish line but her divided heart pulled her backward.
Jesus didn’t say, “Remember Lot.” He said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Her story is shorter, but her warning is sharper. She is the symbol of someone who was almost saved but ultimately lost — not because God failed her, but because she failed to let go.
Beloved, let us remember Lot’s wife — and choose differently.
Let us look forward to the promises of God, hold loosely to the things of this world, and walk with hearts fully surrendered to Christ.