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

7- Lot’s Wife is an example of an unwise mother who is negligent in raising her children, so her fruits were corrupt. Of course Lot shares this responsibility with her; they didn’t care to raise their children in the fear of the Lord. Therefore, the children grew up attached to the materialistic world and were doused in carnal lust.

The older children got married to wicked people from Sodom. They and their families, turned down Lot’s invitation to leave the city to escape death, instead, they mocked him, “So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.” (Genesis 19:14). As a result they all perished.

The two remaining young girls, who later left the city with him, behaved in such a wicked and foolish manner that reveals complete absence of chastity and faith in their hearts. They said to each other: “We have no chance in getting married, let’s trick our old father and have children from him”, just like that, without any restraint, shame or fear of God. This reveals the wickedness that was lurking in their hearts because of the environment that they were in.

Also, they exhibited no faith that God will provide them with prospect of marriage in due time. God has many ways to solve the problems of whoever seeks Him, regardless of his problems or difficult situations. However, it is evident that Lot’s family didn’t have any faith.

8- The story of Lot’s wife should bring to our attention the importance of the eye in guiding our path and determining our future. The eyes can either lead man to life or to destruction as the Lord Jesus emphasized, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (Matthew 6:22-23). The phrase “Good eye” [or Simple eye] in the Greek Origin takes the following meanings: Single, Pure, Good, Straight, and Healthy. Single means that it doesn’t pick up more than one image at a time, not distracted with too many images. Pure means that it is clean and free from cloudiness. Good means that it is beneficial to man. Straight means that it always looks in a straight path and doesn’t deviate. Healthy means that is sound and has no sickness.

We need to ask ourselves, do we have this simple eye?

Or we should ask ourselves a more practical question: Where do our eyes wonder? How do they see things? And what do they covet?

Are they restrained and pure? Or are they loose and polluted, lacking discipline like the eyes of Lot’s wife that caused her to perish because they were not restrained? These are serious questions!

Do our eyes look towards heaven or earth?

Do we lift up our eyes towards heaven with the psalms and say: “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.” (Psalm 123), “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (Psalm 25), “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” (Psalm 119)?  Do our eyes look towards the magnificent creation of God and praise Him saying, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19)? Do they meditate upon the virtues of the saints in order to attain them as David has said through the Holy Spirit: “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land that they may dwell with Me.” (Psalm 101:6)? Do they notice the poor and the needy? Do they turn towards them to help, without them asking, as Rebekah did with Abraham’s servant (Genesis 24:15-20)?

Or do they look at people in haughtiness and in a condescending way? Do they look at the position of others with covetousness and greed? Do they watch pornography and lewdness? Do they sometimes hold in them hatred, anger or envy? Do they just like to gather images and collect information like a news agency? Or are they busy looking at the shortcoming of others, searching for their mistakes, and judge them, completely ignoring the precious commandment of Christ: “Judge not, that you be not judged… And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”   (Matthew 7:1-5)

Here, it becomes apparent to us that we need continuous discipline, diligent strife, and to cry out every night with the midnight psalm: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way” (Psalm 119:37).The truth is, the eyesight is a very critical sense which plays a major role in determining our eternity. If we restrain it and direct it in the right direction, it will lead us to the path of life. But if we fail to restrain it, such that our eyes wonder around in the wrong direction, like Lot’s wife, this will lead us to the path of destruction.

(To be continued)