In that day, he which shall be on 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.
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Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Jeremiah 45:5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions
In ancient Israel, houses often had flat roofs used for various activities, accessible by an external staircase. This imagery suggests immediacy and the need to prioritize spiritual readiness over material concerns. The instruction parallels the urgency found in the story of Lot's escape from Sodom (Genesis 19:17), where lingering or looking back led to destruction. It underscores the transient nature of earthly possessions compared to eternal matters.
Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind
Fields were common places of work, and this phrase highlights the necessity of leaving behind daily labor and concerns when faced with divine intervention. It reflects the call to discipleship, where following Christ requires leaving behind former ways of life (Luke 9:62). The urgency mirrors the call to be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man, as in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), emphasizing vigilance and readiness.
Jesus is speaking of a specific, literal day when the Son of Man is revealed in judgment (Luke 17:24, 30). It will arrive suddenly, unmistakably, and universally, just as lightning lights up the sky (Matthew 24:27). There will be no time to prepare, bargain, or delay (2 Peter 3:10). The warning presses believers to live in a constant state of readiness, treasuring Christ above all temporal concerns (Luke 12:35-40).
Homes in first-century Israel had flat roofs accessed by exterior stairs; a person standing there could flee across rooftops without re-entering the house. Jesus insists that, when judgment breaks, possessions lose all value.
• Urgency: The command mirrors Mark 13:15 and Matthew 24:17, where the rooftop dweller must “not go down to take anything out of his house.”
• Detachment: Earthly goods cannot rescue anyone from divine wrath (Proverbs 11:4).
• Single-minded faith: As Lot’s wife looked back and perished (Genesis 19:17, 26), believers are called to unhesitating obedience.
• Eternal perspective: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (1 John 2:15).
A laborer far from home might feel the pull to retrieve tools, cloak, or food. Jesus forbids it, showing that safety lies only in prompt obedience.
• Same principle, wider scope: Matthew 24:18 repeats the warning to field workers.
• No retreat: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
• Perseverance: “We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed” (Hebrews 10:39).
• Forward focus: Like Paul, believers “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Luke 17:31 calls for unwavering readiness. When the Day comes, there will be no time to gather valuables, reminisce, or second-guess. Christ must be prized above houses, fields, and every earthly attachment. His followers live today with hearts fixed on eternity, prepared to flee all that hinders and to meet the returning King with joyful, unhesitating faith.
(31) He which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff.--Better, his goods, as in Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27. (See Notes on Matthew 24:17-18.)Verses 31, 32. - In that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, 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. Remember Lot's wife. The Lord, with this striking imagery, describes, not the attitude which men who would be saved must assume when he appears with power and great glory - there will be no time then to shape any new way of life - but it pictures the attitude they must always maintain, if they would be his servants, towards the things of this world. His servants must be ready to abandon all earthly blessings at a moment's notice; none but those who have been sitting loosely to these will be able, when the sudden cry comes, at once to toss away all, and so to meet the long-tarrying Bridegroom. The reminder of Lot's wife - a very familiar story to Jews - warned all would-be disciples of the danger of the double service, God and the world, and how likely the one who attempted it would be to perish miserably.