Matthew 24:18

And let him that is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath.

Our Saviour's concern for the sorrows and misfortunes of men is apparent in these tender words. He was especially grieved for mothers and their children. The reference to going back for a cloak was due to the fact that most agricultural pursuits were carried on without a cloak, that is, with the upper part of the body naked. His admonition to "pray" regarding the precise time of the flight proves that even in times of calamity the child of God, through prayer, may alleviate suffering and misfortune, and soften the harsh winds of adversity. That those prayers were answered appears in the actual date of the fall of the city, which occurred in the Jewish month Ab (July-August), following a five-month siege in the spring and summer of A.D. 70.[9] No endorsement or acceptance of the sabbath as a permanent institution may be inferred by our Saviour's reference to it here, although it does seem that, due to Jewish background, many of the disciples did keep it. In fact, such was true long afterwards, even in Rome (Romans 14:5).