Meaning of Luke 23:27-32

[Psalm_37_4-5]

Recently I’ve been hearing/reading Luke 23:27-32 in different places and I do not understand what is meant by it.

The passage reads:

"Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children,
for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?”

I can kind of comprehend what is meant about weeping for yourselves and children, but I do not understand:

1. what is meant by blessing the ones who never bore children?
2. the part about mountains falling on them, hills covering them,
   and
3. what is meant by if things happen when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?

I know green wood won’t burn (as easily) as dry wood, but I do not understand what Jesus is trying to say.

Can anyone explain any or all parts of this?

Thank you

 

[CARose]

All I can guess is that it alludes to consecrated virgins, the saint who will follow Him, either as Martyrs or in religious life.

CARose

 

[Pug]

I have always assumed that it is a reference to the sorrow a parent will feel when their children are harmed right before their eyes. That is why the barren will be “blessed”, because they are spared the sight of such a thing. When destruction comes, those without children will have a little less sorrow.

When the wood is green, it isn’t quite ready to burn, but when it is dry (when the “time” comes), there will be a huge conflagration. What is happening now is not as bad as it will be then. I think that is the idea.

 

[NotWorthy]

This is referring to the destruction of Israel in AD 70. These women of Jerusalem are going to bear and raise the sons that will rise up and revolt against Rome. The mountains falling is Apocalyptic literature for nations falling. Nothing can be harder on a mother than to watch her own son(s) die.

The green wood is Jesus. If Rome is willing to crucify Jesus, the green wood, how much worse is it going to be on the children of Jerusalem, the dry wood, when the Romans sack and burn the city.

Notworthy

 

[Rebecca_New]

NotWorthy:

This is referring to the destruction of Israel in AD 70. These women of Jerusalem are going to bear and raise the sons that will rise up and revolt against Rome. The mountains falling is Apocalyptic literature for nations falling. Nothing can be harder on a mother than to watch her own son(s) die.

The green wood is Jesus. If Rome is willing to crucify Jesus, the green wood, how much worse is it going to be on the children of Jerusalem, the dry wood, when the Romans sack and burn the city.

Notworthy

Jesus wept bitterly over Jerusalem, and I am sure He is weeping for Jerusalem now.

 

[mosher]

NotWorthy:

This is referring to the destruction of Israel in AD 70. These women of Jerusalem are going to bear and raise the sons that will rise up and revolt against Rome. The mountains falling is Apocalyptic literature for nations falling. Nothing can be harder on a mother than to watch her own son(s) die.

The green wood is Jesus. If Rome is willing to crucify Jesus, the green wood, how much worse is it going to be on the children of Jerusalem, the dry wood, when the Romans sack and burn the city.

Notworthy

This is true but is is also and escatalogical passage referring to the end-times. So, it is true that he is referring to near future events but it is also true that he is referring to the recapitulation or rather the trials that precede the recapitulation.

Look at each point one by one:

1. “Blessed are those who are barren because they do not suffer bringing children into this wicked world where sorrow and trial is the only thing that is known. Peace, joy and reconciliation are images of thoughts that seemed to never have existed.”

In the time of tribulation is this not what many will say or think. Even today I hear often from older generations that they would hate to have to raise their children in today’s culture and today’s world. Imagine what it will be like when the end of time comes if it is perceived to be so bad now.

It is also a possible reference to Psalm 139:

Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion: On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments. For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion. How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay thee thy payment which thou hast paid us. Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.
(Psa 137:1-9)

1. This is an obvious reference to Isaiah where it is said:

And man hath bowed himself down, and man hath been debased: therefore forgive them not. Enter thou into the rock, and hide thee in the pit from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty. The lofty eyes of man are humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be made to stoop: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Because the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and highminded, and upon every one that is arrogant, and he shall be humbled. And upon all the tall and lofty cedars of Libanus, and upon all the oaks of Basan. And upon all the high mountains and upon all the elevated hills. And upon every high tower, and every fenced wall. And upon all the ships of Tharsis, and upon all that is fair to behold. And the loftiness of men shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And idols shall be utterly destroyed. And they shall go into the holes of rocks, and into the caves of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he shall rise up to strike the earth. In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he had made for himself to adore, moles and bats. And he shall go into the clefts of rocks, and into the holes of stones from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he shall rise up to strike the earth. Cease ye therefore from the man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for he is reputed high.
(Isa 2:9-22)

1. Jesus is the sprig that comes forth from the root of Jesse. If they cut Him down then what will they do to the rest of us after He is dead. He says this to emphasis the injustice of the world and the justice of the kingdom of God but also to prepare the faithful for the coming persecutions.

 

[CathChemNerd]

As a side note, this section of Luke is (as has been pointed out) a section of apocalyptic literature. Mark, Matthew and Luke all have a “little apocalypse” that gives some indications of the tribulations that will occur in the future. This section is absent from John’s gospel, most likely because he wrote a whole “big apocalypse” (Revelation). The Christians will be persecuted, apostasy will rise, and evil will befall all men. Jesus uses statements like “blessed are the barren” for hyperbole to express the difficulty of the times to come. Like apocalyptic lit. in general, however, it is ultimately a message of hope, because though times will be bad, we have the Lord as our shield and strong defender. The just man will eventually be delivered from persecution (Ps 22).

Peace,
CCN

 

[anawim]

This is referring to the destruction of Israel in AD 70. These women of Jerusalem are going to bear and raise the sons that will rise up and revolt against Rome. The mountains falling is Apocalyptic literature for nations falling. Nothing can be harder on a mother than to watch her own son(s) die.

In addition, Josephus tells us that the Romans had effectiviely sealed off the city, causing starvation. As children succumbed to starvation, their parents would eat them.