First Verse: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32) – Continued

9- Lot’s wife did not learn from the worldly loss that she experienced.

Can we benefit from worldly losses?

Yes, of course. God sometimes allow different kinds of worldly loss such as losing money, a loved one, valuable position, social status, etc. In doing so, God tries to teach us not to be attached to this temporal world, but rather we should care more about our real home in eternity which is our real future.

Worldly loss can liberate us from any love, other than God’s, which may have infiltrated into our hearts and spoiled it. A spiritual person doesn’t mourn over worldly losses because they can be in fact a spiritual gain. Worldly losses are a step towards spiritual liberation from worldly troubles and bonds as our teacher St. Paul says: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”  (Philippians 3:7-8)

As for Lot’s wife, God wanted to save her and keep her away from the place of destruction, but she mourned over the worldly losses and looked behind with sadness for what she had left so she lost her soul as well.

10- Lot’s wife represents those who take the commandment lightly so they lose everything. The commandment was clear, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” (Geneses 19:17). And the scriptures say before that: “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” (Geneses 19:16). This assures us that God deals with us with kindness and mercy. Thus, man always benefit from the commandment. The commandment is a sign of love from God who gives man precious advice to lead him towards happiness, freedom, and salvation. But he who rises above the commandment and rejects it, or become carless in applying it, brings the judgment of death upon himself. The commandment is an everlasting life to those who apply it, and eternal judgment to those who reject it.

Additionally, the commandment may seem simple on the outside; however, we should not take it lightly. Let’s see examples of some of these commandments:

+ “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.”

+ “Do not look behind.”

+ “Do not bear false witness.”

+ “Do not covet what’s your neighbor’s.”

+ “do not swear at all.”

+ “Do not judge.”

+ “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.”

+ “keep yourself pure.”

+ “Be faithful.”

 As much as the commandment seems very simple, taking it lightly is fatal mistake, and not applying it may cause great loss and irrecoverable damage.

The commandments of God, especially the ones that come with warnings, are clear, specific, and easy to apply. However, it is important to take them seriously unlike Lot’s wife who initially walked in the path of salvation but, unfortunately, she lost everything by being complacent in a commandment that was seemingly minor.

In fact all commandments are very important and none should be ignored or neglected with the false pretense that they are insignificant and minor ones. As St James says through the Spirit in his Epistle: “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”  (James 2:10). Therefore, We must pay attention to the commandment diligently and strive to apply them through the grace of God. Then He will rejoice in our diligence and gives us boundless strength.