Green Tree

Hello.

In our narrative in the Gospel of Luke, we are moving rapidly toward the Cross.  Luke 23:26-31 covers the road to the Cross after Jesus leaves his second trial with Pilate.  Here is my translation:

26 As they were leading Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 Many people followed him, including some women who were mourning and weeping for him. 28 Turning to these women, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me, instead weep for yourselves and your children, 29 because the days are coming in which people will say, ‘blessed are barren women, who have never given birth, and whose breasts have never nursed a child.’ 
   30 People will begin to say to the mountains, 
           ‘Fall on us,’ 
        And to the hills, 
            ‘Hide us.”
31 Because if this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up? 

One would think that Jesus is physically exhausted from the events that unfolded.  Even without the savage beating of a flogging, he would be exhausted.  But he was flogged, and now expected to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion.  

Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside.  A man who was seemingly minding his own business, when he was compelled to carry the Cross for Jesus.  The Romans had the right to ‘draft’ someone and press them into service, forcing them to carry their burden for a mile. It appears likely that this chance encounter leads Simon to become a disciple.  Mark 15:21 mentions that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander, apparently two early disciples. Consider Luke 9:23, where Jesus tells those who would follow after him, that they must take up their cross and follow.  Simon literally does that.  Given Jesus’ cross to carry, he follows Jesus. Darrell Bock calls Simon, a ‘representative participant.’ (Bock, 1842.) 

Others are following, as well.  Many women are mourning and weeping for Jesus as he walks along.  In these few verses, which are unique to Luke, he very tenderly addresses them, and tells them not to weep for him.  Jesus, always full of compassion, and knowing what would happen down the road in Jerusalem, again offers warning. He addresses this group of women as ‘Daughters of Jerusalem.’ The destruction of Jerusalem is not coming for forty years, but Jesus tells them to mourn for that, as what he is saying to them has a ring of familiarity.  (See Luke 21:20 and following.) 

Like Luke 21:23 says that those days will be terrible for expectant and nursing mothers.  Conditions will be so bad that people ask the mountains to fall on them, people will want a quick death and relief from their suffering.  The nation will be held accountable for their rejection of Jesus. 

 Jesus ends his warning to these women by saying,”If this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up?”  I think we all prefer a green tree that is full of leaves and fruit to a dead dried up tree that has neither. I think it is safe to say that in this case green represents something good and dried up represents something bad. 

There are differing ideas about what the green tree and the dried up tree represent. According to Bock, there are at least three different ways to interpret Jesus’ meaning here (Bock, 1847.):

• If the Romans will treat an innocent man (Jesus, green tree) like this, how badly will they treat a nation in rebellion (dry tree)? 
• The Jews treat Jesus this way for coming to deliver them (green tree), how will they be treated for destroying him (dry tree)?
• If God does not spare Jesus (green tree), how much more will the impenitent nation (dry tree) be punished when Divine judgment comes? 

In all of these options, Jesus is the green tree, and those who have killed this innocent man are the dry tree, and whether the punishment comes from the Romans or God, or both, it will be severe.  It is amazing that Jesus even after all of the mistreatment that he has taken over the course of the night, and knowing that it is the Cross that awaits, can still find a place in his heart to show compassion to the crowd.