Do Not Look at “the Things Behind” - Remember the Wife of Lot? – ???????

[Bible Speaks]

Consequently let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.

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Do Not Look at “the Things Behind”

“No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the kingdom of God.”—LUKE 9:62.

“REMEMBER the wife of Lot.” (Luke 17:32) 

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Jesus Christ gave that strong warning almost 2,000 years ago. That warning is now more important than ever. What did Jesus mean? The Jews he was talking to knew exactly what had happened to Lot’s wife. While she was fleeing from Sodom with her family, she disobeyed Jehovah and looked back. Because of that, she was turned into a pillar of salt.—Read Genesis 19:17, 26.

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Why may Lot’s wife have looked back? What happened to her when she disobeyed?

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But why did Lot’s wife look back? Maybe she wanted to see what was happening. Or it is possible that she turned around because she could not believe that the city was being destroyed. Maybe her faith was weak. Or maybe she wanted to go back to the things she had left behind in Sodom. (Luke 17:31) Whatever the reason for her looking back, she died when she disobeyed. Just think of it! She died the same day as those wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah. That is why Jesus said: “Remember the wife of Lot.”

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How did Jesus emphasize that we should not look back?

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Lot’s wife should not have looked back at what was behind her. In the same way, we should not look back at, or keep thinking about, the things we left behind. Jesus emphasized this when talking to a man who had said that he wanted to be Jesus’ disciple. The man had said that he first wanted to return to his family to say good-bye. Jesus answered: “No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) 

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Was Jesus’ answer to the man too strong or unkind? No. He knew that the man was just making excuses to avoid the responsibility of becoming a disciple. Jesus said that a person who avoids his obligations to God is looking at “the things behind.” 

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A person who is plowing a field may look back while he is plowing or put the plow down and turn to look back. Either way, he is distracted from what he should be doing, and he is not doing his work properly.

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What should we focus on?

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We must focus on the future and not on the past. The Bible clearly says this at Proverbs 4:25: “As for your eyes, straight ahead they should look, yes, your own beaming eyes should gaze straight in front of you.”

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SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

?To look at the things behind: To keep thinking about the past in a way that could discourage us or make us stop serving Jehovah

?To look at the things ahead: To keep thinking about the future and about serving Jehovah forever

?To make sacrifices: To decide not to go after things or opportunities in the world or to leave them behind

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402012206?q=wife+of+lot&p=par#h=31