As the soldiers 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. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Good times are easy to live in. The United States has had a long period of relatively “good times”. In good times, jobs are easy to find, vacations are more plentiful, and the excesses of life (fancy houses, cars, boats, eating out, etc.) are more accessible. The poor are still around, but many ignore them.

However, in challenging times, life changes and we have to prioritize what matters most. We sacrifice the “wants” and focus on the “needs”. Maybe in the good times too many people focus on the “wants” and sacrifice the “needs”?

The above contrast is what is represented by the tree analogy. It represents two seasons of life: One where life is relatively easy and going well (green leaves and potentially fruit) and the other where life is painfully hard.

The focus of the Jewish leaders (and, by their example, most of the Jewish people) was on the wrong things. They were, at their core, focused on money, power, and position. They would not help the unclean or the outcasts, the widows or the orphans, the poor or the helpless. Instead, they robbed from them. See ‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬: “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”

So Jesus is telling those who are mourning because of his torture and mistreatment, to instead mourn for those who are the source of his torture and mistreatment. Why? Because Jesus already had eternal life and was following God’s plan of salvation by being willing to die on a cross. The Jews were not following God and were going to be judged for it. The prophecy here speaks of a slaughter of innocents that will be so bad that people will wish for no children. Food and water would be scarce, and the rocks would fall on them and crush them. (The fulfillment of this prophecy happened around 70 AD, when the Romans surrounded Jerusalem and laid siege to it. They cut off supplies for over one month and people were literally starving to death. If the Jews left, the Romans would torture them and then kill them and hang their bodies on a pole outside the city walls. Eventually the Romans broke through the walls and the Jewish army was slaughtered.)

It is a fascinating and almost unbelievable position for Jesus to take, in asking those who wept for him to weep for themselves instead. The true battle is not for earthly power or position. Instead, it is fought in the spiritual realms.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬)

Jesus is warning them to be prepared — to prepare their hearts and repent — for judgment is coming!

Lord, thank you for modeling how to love your persecutors and also speak truth to them. You knew that this time of horrible persecution and death was momentary. And your eternal reward would be great! Help me to have the same joy in suffering and ability to speak truth in compassion for those who might persecute me.