Signs of the End
And let no one in the field return for his cloak. Matthew 24:18 · Berean Standard Bible
And if you're working out in the field, don't go back for your coat. Leave everything and run. Nothing you own is worth your life.
A coat was essential in that climate, but Jesus says even that isn't worth the time it takes to go back for it. When the moment comes, nothing matters but getting out.
Jesus continues pressing the urgency, making sure no one underestimates the danger.
It's the ultimate lesson in priorities. When your life is at stake, stuff doesn't matter. Jesus wants His followers to value what truly counts.
Similarly, a worker in the field (agrō) must not return home for his cloak (himation). The outer cloak was essential for warmth and protection, yet Jesus commands leaving even this necessity behind. Survival demands total detachment from possessions.
The himation served as both garment and blanket. To leave without it meant facing exposure, yet staying to retrieve it could mean death in the coming destruction.
Jesus extends the evacuation urgency to those working in the fields outside the city.
Even basic necessities must be abandoned. The person working in the field must flee without returning for their coat. Life is more valuable than any possession.
16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.
18And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.
Read all of Matthew 24 — The disciples ask when the end will come. Jesus answers with wars, earthquakes, and a warning: stay awake, because no one knows the hour.
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