Luke 23:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They surrendered entirely to the profound grief that only heartbroken souls can feel. For the Lord, who assured that no act of kindness, not even a cup of cold water given in His name, would go unnoticed (Matt. 10:42), surely took heed of the compassion from these women. Yet, the death He was marching towards surpassed simple compassion; it was a moment for all the tribes of Israel to mourn and feel crushed, though not precisely for the same reasons the women wept. ‘Daughters of Jerusalem!’ the Lord called out to them, ‘Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.’ This extraordinary directive, to mourn for Him as He faced a brutal death, would only gain full meaning after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Still, the call to sorrow for themselves and their children made abundantly clear to the women and all present the significant contrast between Jesus’ feelings—who at such a moment was consumed not by personal concern but by a deep care for the future welfare of the children of Jerusalem—and the indifference displayed by the chief priests, who boldly demanded the blood of the Innocent One before Pilate. The Lord continued, ‘Behold, the days are coming, and in them will they say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not nursed. Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us,” and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?’ (Luke 23:29-31.) The impending disasters threatening Jerusalem could not have been described more powerfully. The Jews considered calamity as the most dreadful misfortune, a punishment from God; thus, envying the afflicted equated to despair. This sentiment echoed the warnings of the prophets (Hosea 10:8; Isaiah 2:10-19; Revelation 6:16), who spoke on behalf of the God of Israel, foretelling consequences for the nation’s transgressions. Yet, the Son of Man articulated this without personal indignation toward His ungrateful fellow countrymen. He did not say, The days will come when you who condemned Me will speak, but rather, They will speak, indicating a general observation rather than a personal attack. His profound selflessness allowed Him to overlook His own suffering, while a genuine love for His homeland compelled Him to not hide the grave consequences awaiting it, thus serving as a warning for those who remained open to the truth. This was the final call to repentance from their Messiah, expressed with deep affection for their well-being. Wars, plagues, famines, and other tragedies were destined to strike down especially the expectant mothers and those with infants. Earlier, while foretelling these calamities to His disciples, the Lord had drawn attention to the fate of those who would suffer greatly. ’Woe to those who are nursing in those days’ (Luke 21:23; Mark 13:17; Matthew 24:19)! The saying, ‘If they do this to the green tree (to Me), what shall be done to the dry tree (to the Jewish people)?’ carries dreadful implications for the Jewish people. Yet, even here, there is no trace of personal indignation. It is a proverb that has circulated widely, and when more fitting to invoke it than at this critical juncture? If the Jewish leaders—chief priests, Pharisees, and scribes—are likened to a dry tree (a frequent symbol for the wicked in prophecy), this comparison had already been eloquently expressed by John the Baptist when questioned by the Sanhedrin regarding His identity (Matthew 3:10). When Jesus last issued this warning to His people, perhaps a few received it with kindness. However, a few years later, during the destruction of Jerusalem, His most fervent adversaries must have recalled those words. The harrowing accounts of the Jewish people’s suffering during that period are chilling. The plight of mothers was such that some resorted to unspeakable acts, sacrificing their own children for sustenance. As the Lord had foretold, the natural refuges of the Jews—the rocks and caves of Palestine—would soon become, not havens, but graves for countless unfortunate souls who, amid their torment, sought death as their final respite.

They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us, and cover us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb’ (Rev. 6:16). Thus, in His prophecy, the Savior is the Redeemer of all humanity; He is concerned for every soul and, with a love both wise and compassionate, cautions sinners everywhere about the dreadful destiny awaiting them during the final judgment of the world.

When the sight of His anguish caused some of the women of Jerusalem to weep, He addressed them, saying, “Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” He then prophesied the severe tribulations that would indeed come upon Jerusalem during its siege, adding, “If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (If the innocent suffer in this manner, what hope is there for the guilty? Sl. Ezek. 20:47; Ezek. 21:3).

There would be a despair so great that people would wish to disappear into the earth, seeking death and pleading for the mountains and hills around Jerusalem to engulf them, thereby ending their tribulation. By comparing Himself to a green tree and the Jewish people to a dry tree, which represents a barren and withered fig tree, He concluded His remarks with a poignant question: If such actions are taken against the green tree, what consequences await the dry tree? This echoes the warning given by John the Baptist, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9). He cautioned the people that an axe was already positioned at the root of their tree, ready to sever it if it remained unfruitful (Matthew 3:10). Yet, despite these grave admonitions, the hearts of this cruel people remained unyielded.