For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry?
οτι ει εν τω υγρω ξυλω ταυτα ποιουσιν εν τω ξηρω τι γενηται
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
If the Romans have treated me, a vibrant and fruitful tree, always green and thriving through the divine power of the Godhead, whose teachings sustain all, what will they do to you, the people, who are like a barren tree, lacking all life-giving righteousness and yielding no fruit? Had you possessed even a trace of the life-empowering goodness, you might have received some measure of mercy; yet now, like a withered tree, you face the fate of being burned and destroyed.
We need to reflect on the significance that the Savior conveys through His words. This statement resembles a parable or example, yet it carries a deeper spiritual meaning that may point to what is to come. He identifies Himself as a flourishing tree, symbolizing one adorned with leaves, fruit, and blossoms. His fruits represent His teachings and encouragement, as well as the display of divine authority through His miraculous deeds that are beyond description. Which of His actions do not inspire awe? He raised the deceased, purified the lepers, restored sight to the blind, and His other miracles call forth our utmost admiration. Nonetheless, despite these remarkable works, the Roman officials, particularly Pilate, wrongfully condemned Him and subjected Him to harsh ridicule.
Therefore, He states that if the Roman leaders have inflicted such harm upon Me, even while they witness My grandeur and acclaim, what judgment will they render to Israel, viewing it as dry and unfruitful? In Israel, they will perceive nothing praiseworthy that would merit honor or favor. They would cast him into the flames, showing no compassion, for he would endure the brutalities of a fierce wrath. This exemplifies the suffering that the Israelites faced when God, who judges with righteousness, administered justice for their transgressions against Christ. To us who believe in Him, Christ bestows grace and blessings; to Him, with God the Father, be glory and sovereignty, along with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
In this analogy, the Lord referred to His divine nature as a flourishing tree while designating those who received His blessings as barren. He described it as a flourishing tree because it produces fruit, as He stated elsewhere, “For which of My good works do you stone Me?” If I endure suffering despite being without sin, as evidenced by the query, “Which of you will convict Me of sin?” (cf. Jn. 8:46), how much greater will your suffering be? He termed it a verdant tree because of the miracles He performed, contrasting it with the righteous ones, who, lacking miraculous deeds, are likened to a barren tree.
Furthermore, if they despised and harmed the fruitful tree, from which they had partaken and delighted in its foliage, what fate awaits the barren tree that has not blossomed or opened its buds—the humble righteous who did not perform signs?
If the Romans, instigated by the Jews, act this way towards me, one who possesses divine life, what will happen to you, who have been spiritually dulled by sin, and what of them?
The Redeemer likens Himself to a vibrant tree, abundant with life-giving sap and fruitful due to the purity that even Pilate recognized in Him, along with the blessings that the Jews experienced. In contrast, He compares individuals like Caiaphas to dead wood, devoid of life and destined for destruction. The prophets referred to the wicked as chaff, and the anger of God towards them as fire (Is. 5:24, Is. 33:11, Abd. 1:18, Mal. 4:1). The Saviour highlights a well-known saying from the Book of Proverbs that resonated with the Jewish people: "If the righteous is barely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (Proverbs 11:31). This highlights why humanity should mourn and be humbled for their own transgressions.
Ultimately, what constitutes the greatest suffering, whether for the righteous or the wicked? It is nothing other than sin, whether it be pardoned or punished. The trials borne by the Saviour illustrate God's mercy in judgment and indicate the reality of eternal righteousness. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God anticipates our purification through faith in the blood of Christ, affirming His righteousness (Rom. 3:23). Thus, our crucified Saviour embodies a vivid representation of the severity of God's righteousness. He endured disgrace and anguish for the sake of sinful humanity, even though He Himself is without sin. If He faced such suffering despite His purity, what will become of the unrepentant? The impending judgment of God’s wrath looms over them—a relentless execution of divine righteousness, an agony without end, and suffering devoid of solace or hope. The world's Redeemer has fulfilled divine justice for those who drove the nails into His hands and for sinners of all generations. However, it is essential for us to receive His justification through our own contrition and living faith. "Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19), was declared to those who crucified Christ. Dear listeners, as we overlook His sufferings, the Lord, with profound love and sorrow, urges us to concern ourselves with our own culpability. Should we lull ourselves into a false sense of security? Should we disregard the caring nature of Heavenly Love? Let us not be careless; let us not be dreadfully forgetful of the rights of God's formidable Truth. We need to cry out for ourselves, shedding tears for our transgressions as the Lord wisely counsels, lest the fearsome judgment of God overtake us. Parents! Heed the Lord's call to love you: weep for yourselves and your children while there is still time. Or do you still remain unaware of what merits your tears? Oh! Weep for yourselves, for the many faults, the numerous transgressions, and the grievous neglect of your responsibilities toward yourselves and the Lord; weep too for your children. You have much sorrow to express on their behalf. Reflect: if your example has not only failed to instill virtue but has led them astray into vice; if your nurturing has only produced diligent servants of worldly evil rather than devoted children of Christ: will not their ruin become your burden? Oh, tremble at God's judgment: He is unwavering and precise in discerning the guilty and their sins. Fear God's judgment: it will not evaluate your parental obligations as the worldly mindset instructs you. - According to worldly standards, you are focused solely on your children's happiness and reputation, their intelligence and beauty, their accolades and attire, without considering that such pursuits are trivial for eternity and may even prove detrimental: you concern yourselves with the superficial and ignore the eternal, - do not forget that the blood shed by the Saviour for you and your children is often disregarded by you both as worthless, with scarcely any mention of the name of the one true Saviour Jesus, evoking only a perfunctory acknowledgment. Woe betide you, will the Lord’s blood not weigh upon you and your children? O friends, do we not cherish this world more than God, the temporal more than the eternal, the desires of our sinful nature more than the commandments of our Lord, unrighteousness more than holiness, destruction more than the salvation of our souls? What are we anticipating? Whether we prepare or not, the day of wrath and judgment shall inevitably come, a day of retribution and dreadful righteousness. The Lord continues to be patient that all might come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). But let us not be misled; God is not to be deceived (Gal. 6:6). O Christ our Saviour! O You who love sinners whether they love You or not! Grant us a spirit of contrition for our sins. Instill in our hearts the humility of the Prodigal Son, that we may join in his plea: "Father, we have sinned against heaven and in Your sight, and are no longer worthy to be called Your children; make us like one of Your hired servants," that we may forever extol Your goodness throughout time and eternity. Amen.
As was customary for those sentenced to execution, the Lord was required to bear the cross intended for His crucifixion to the site of His death. However, He was so worn out from the excruciating physical and emotional agony He had endured that He collapsed under the burden of the cross. Consequently, the rough soldiers, who had previously mocked Him, expressed a moment of pity and forced Simon the Cyrenian, who happened to be nearby, to bear the cross to its designated location. Amidst His pain, He was profoundly touched by His love for the misled and blind people, whose destiny He had foreseen, and upon whom divine judgment was soon to befall due to their past transgressions, particularly this grievous act.
As some of the women of Jerusalem wept at the sight of His sufferings, He addressed them, saying, “Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” He then prophesied the severe tribulations that would come upon Jerusalem during its siege, remarking, “If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” If the innocent endure such torment, what awaits the guilty.
St. John offers a succinct account, indicating that as Christ was condemned to death and led away, He journeyed to Calvary while ‘bearing His cross.’ The first three Gospels recount how, along the way, they encountered Simon of Cyrene, whom the soldiers compelled to carry the cross behind Jesus, as He, worn down by His prior sufferings, could no longer bear the weight of His cross on the path to His crucifixion. Additionally, the Gospel of Luke mentions that numerous faithful women followed Jesus, mourning for Him. In His response, the Lord redirects their focus from His own plight to their condition, foretelling God’s judgment upon Jerusalem.
He warns that the suffering forthcoming will be so grave that the joy of childbearing will be sought no more, and individuals will long for the most agonizing yet swift demise to avoid the impending horrors. He remarks that if a sinless and holy man like Himself endures such profound anguish, what can be expected as the reckoning of God for those immersed in sin?
Christ addressed the sorrowing women, saying, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children. The days are coming when they will proclaim, 'Blessed are those who have never been pregnant, and the breasts that have not nursed.' In those times, they will call to the mountains, 'Fall upon us' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if such things are done to the flourishing tree, what will become of the lifeless one?" In His message to the mourning women, Christ foretold the looming devastation of Jerusalem, a time when famine, the fury of combatants, and the impending Roman siege would lead mothers to grieve for their offspring and yearn for the childless.
People would find themselves in despair, wishing to escape their circumstances, pleading for death, and longing for the mountains and hills around Jerusalem to fall and shield them from their anguish. By likening Himself to a thriving tree and the Jewish people to a lifeless tree (symbolizing a barren, desolate fig tree), He concluded His remarks to the grieving women with this thought: "If such is the fate of the green tree, what will be the fate of the dry tree?" What indeed will happen? As prophesied 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 Jewish people that an axe was already laid at the root, ready to sever it should it remain unfruitful (Mt. 3:10), yet these admonitions had failed to penetrate the hearts of this unyielding populace.
The ambiance surrounding this tragic procession was profoundly distressing, leading many women to weep intensely, unable to withstand its anguish. The Divine Redeemer turned to them and advised them not to weep for Him, but rather for themselves and for the grievous trials that loomed over the entire nation of Israel and the land promised to them.
The phrase "If with a green tree" appears to be a well-known saying. When adversaries invade a territory, if they choose to preserve the flourishing and fruitful trees, it suggests there is still hope they might not annihilate all the barren ones. However, if even the vibrant, fruit-bearing trees are destroyed, what chance do the withered ones have? In this context, the Lord symbolizes Himself as the green tree, while the Jewish people represent the dry ones. If the innocent are not spared, what fate awaits the guilty? A conflagration is approaching Judah (cf. Ezek. 20:47); should the green tree be consumed by fire, how then will it have the strength to incinerate the dry land?
"If the Romans have inflicted this upon Me, a living, fruitful, eternally vibrant tree sustained by the divine power, nourishing all through the fruits of their teachings, what will they do to you, the people, who are like a dry tree, lacking all life-giving righteousness and yielding no fruit? Had you possessed even a semblance of the life-giving goodness, you might have been granted some measure of mercy, but now, as a dry tree, you are destined for burning and devastation" (Theophilus).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS