Luke 23 (in part)

I tried posting this on the Gen/Revtv page and on Perspective on FB but it wouldn't let me. Could you let me know your ideas on the subject please.

This is a few verses from our Gospel reading this morning, Luke 23.
(taken from NIV)

23.But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.
24.So Pilate decided to grant their demand.
25.He
released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and
murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
(The Crucifixion )
26.As
they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in
from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind
Jesus.
27.A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.
28.Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.
29.For
the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women,
the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'
30.Then
" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!"
and to the hills, "Cover us!"
31.For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Firstly it is a prime example of what is Allegory and what isn't.
Clearly only verse 31 is allegory, the rest is actually events, and a prophecy of what is to come.

It always amazes me how God has a word in and out of season, I can
honestly say I must have read this passage hundreds of times, yet verse
31 never was as clear as it was today.


" For if men do these things when the tree is green............."

What does this mean ???
I believe that this refers to Israel (as a whole) not recognising that
Jesus was the very Messiah they were waiting for (Matt 15:24)
They had their Messiah there with them (the tree was green) yet they didn't recognise Him.


"What will happen when the land is dry"

Israel has become spiritually dry, for a while the tree was green, but they let it become dry.
It is time for Israel to turn back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
To be the people God chose them to be.
As a gentile, I am only worthy of the crumbs from under the table, but
Israel have turned there back on the Bread of Life in favour of
pleasing wicked human nature.

((Elaine))

All I can think of (off the top of my very empty head) is that the verse means that if men will commit such enormous evil as to crucify the Son of God, whilst Gods literal presence is perhaps nearer to them than it will ever be in this life (in that they can see, hear, touch Him - He walks among them in God the Son, Jesus), how much more evil will they commit when His crucifxion, His literal presence is just a distant memory to most..the irony being that that great evil is going to fall on Israel in those very dark days in an attempt to thwart/crush God Himself (by preventing His prophetic destiny for Israel from coming true).

John Macarthur says:

This was probably a common proverb.Jesus' meaning seems to be this: if the Romans would perpetrate such atrocities on Jesus (the *green wood* - young, strong and a source of life) what would they do to the Jewish nation (the *dry wood* - old, barren and ripe for judgement)?

Mmmmm I can see that too.
Amazing how both interpretations are different yet connected, and both valid.
Thanks Hetty xxxxxx