One time Jesus mentioned to his disciples that the temple and the other buildings in Jerusalem would be destroyed. The disciples asked Jesus when this would happen. He doesn’t give them a straight answer but one statement he says is: (Mark 13:15 NIV) Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out.
In a day when escape from evil was necessary, the people in a city or town could do so by going from roof to roof, because the houses were located so close to each other. A person could walk to safety by going housetop to housetop.
In the legend of Santa Claus, he goes from housetop to housetop on Christmas Eve. He is unnoticed because he lands on the roof much like what this verse is talking about.
In Matthew 24 and Mark 13 Jesus not only mentions the destruction of Jerusalem but he goes beyond this and also discusses the Day of Judgment. When we accept Jesus, he lifts us up to see beyond this life. We don’t dare hold onto this life so much that we are not ready for his return.
(Mark 8:35 NIV) For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:36 NIV) What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Our possessions we cannot take with us. So many people hold onto worldly things so tightly that they never want to part with them. At the Second Coming, they will be in the house while we, as Christians, will be taken away to safety.