“Do not build walls that are destined to collapse in this world, nor live like a dried-up tree. Instead, right now, through repentance with tears and obedience, cast the lives of ourselves and our children upon Jesus Christ, who is the only refuge and the green tree.”

“Do not build walls that are destined to collapse in this world, nor live like a dried-up tree. Instead, right now, through repentance with tears and obedience, cast the lives of ourselves and our children upon Jesus Christ, who is the only refuge and the green tree.”

 

 

 

“As they led Jesus away, they seized Simon, a man from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him and made him follow Jesus.  A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and lamented for him.  Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the barren 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?’” (Luke 23:26–31).

 

 

(1)  I feel that Luke 23:26–43, the passage concerning Jesus being crucified, is too long to meditate on all at once, so I would like to divide it into sections.  Today, I would like to meditate only on verses 26–31.  First, I would like to compare this passage with the parallel passages of Matthew 27:32 and Mark 15:21 and consider the overall story by combining the three accounts.

 

1.   The Comprehensive Story of the Road to the Cross (A synthesis of Matthew, Mark, and Luke)

 

After Jesus was sentenced to death, His entire body had been torn apart by severe scourging and mockery, and He no longer had the strength to carry the heavy cross.  As the Roman soldiers were leading Jesus away, they happened to see Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming into the city from the countryside (the field).  The soldiers seized him, forced him to carry Jesus' cross in His place, and made him follow behind Jesus.

 

Behind this holy yet tragic procession was a large crowd of people and many women who were devoted to Jesus, beating their breasts and mourning bitterly for Him.  Even in the midst of His terrible suffering, Jesus turned and looked at the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children” (Lk. 23:28).

 

Looking ahead to the terrible day of judgment that would come upon Jerusalem—the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70—Jesus warned that a day would come when people would say that those who had never become pregnant were blessed.  Finally, He declared solemnly, “If they do this when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (v. 31).  If such judgment came even upon the innocent green tree (Jesus), how terrifying would be the wrath that would come upon the dry tree, full of sin (humanity and Jerusalem)?  With this solemn declaration, He continued toward Golgotha.

 

2.    Points for Meditation from the Different Perspectives of the Gospels

 

When we compare the three Gospels, the central points for meditation that each writer wished to emphasize become even clearer.

 

Matthew and Mark's perspective (the cross carried under compulsion becomes a blessing): Mark specifically introduces Simon as “the father of Alexander and Rufus.”  This suggests that he was a person well known to the believers of the early church.  Simon and his family, who may initially have thought that being seized and forced to carry the cross was simply terrible bad luck, eventually became, through this event, a prominent family of faith at the heart of the early church (see Romans 16:13).

 

Luke's perspective (mercy toward others even in suffering): Through Luke 23:27–31, which is recorded only in Luke, Luke especially highlights Jesus' composure and compassion.  Even at the moment when death was immediately before Him, Jesus did not become absorbed in His own personal sorrow but felt compassion for the souls of others.  Jesus reveals Himself not merely as an “object of pity,” but as the Judge and Savior of history (Internet).

 

(2)  Second, I would like to meditate somewhat on “Simon, a man from Cyrene” (Lk. 23:26).  As the Roman soldiers were leading Jesus away, they happened to find Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming into the city from the countryside (the field).  They seized him, forced him to carry Jesus' cross in His place, and made him follow Jesus.  It is interesting that, as a result, Simon and his family eventually became a prominent family of faith at the heart of the early church through this event.  What lesson does this passage give us?

 

             1.  The Cross We Are Forced to Carry Becomes the “Greatest Blessing”

 

Simon did not volunteer to carry the cross.  Scripture records that the Roman soldiers “seized him and forced him” (Mt. 27:32; Mk. 15:21).  Under Roman law at the time, a person could not refuse when a soldier forcibly conscripted him, so Simon may have regarded it as tremendous misfortune and humiliation.  His clothes became stained with Jesus' blood, and the festive atmosphere of the holiday was ruined.

 

Lesson: There are also “crosses we are forced to carry” in our lives—things that come upon us regardless of our own choices.  Sudden suffering, unwanted responsibilities, and heavy burdens that we are forced to take on in our families or workplaces are examples of these.  Yet in the Lord, even a “mission that begins under compulsion” can become a channel of eternal blessing.  The place where our plans are broken can become the place where the Lord's plan begins.

 

2.   We Receive the Privilege of Following Behind the Lord “At the Closest Possible Distance”

 

Luke 23:26 describes Simon as one who “carried the cross and followed Jesus.” When all the disciples had fled in fear, paradoxically, Simon—an otherwise unknown man from Cyrene in North Africa—became the person who witnessed Jesus' holy shedding of blood from the closest possible distance.  He heard the Lord's labored breathing and walked directly in His footsteps.

 

Lesson: Following the Lord is not merely a verbal commitment; it is taking steps that participate in the Lord's suffering, like Simon.  When we quietly follow behind the Lord while enduring the burdens of life, we become “the closest disciples,” meeting the Lord more deeply than anyone in the world and coming to understand the Lord's heart.

 

3.   One Person's Obedience Can Make an Entire Family a “Prominent House of Faith”

 

Biblical scholars believe that the sons of Simon mentioned in Mark 15:21—Alexander and Rufus—and the person whom the apostle Paul refers to in Romans 16:13 when he says, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too,” were members of the same family.  Although Simon was forced to carry the cross, he encountered the Lord personally along that road and likely returned home and shared the gospel.  As a result, his sons became strong leaders in the early church, and his wife became a great woman of faith whom the apostle Paul respected enough to call “my mother.”

 

Lesson: The cross of faith that I carry today and my obedience through tears do not end with me alone.  The marks of the cross carried by parents are passed down to their children as a holy spiritual inheritance.  My small acts of perseverance and obedience today become the cornerstone upon which my future children and family are established as a prominent household of faith.

 

4.   God “Remembers Our Labor Forever”

 

Although there were countless people throughout the vast city of Jerusalem, God singled out Simon of Cyrene and uniquely recorded his name in Scripture forever as the person who carried Jesus' cross in His place.

 

Lesson: God never forgets the burdens and labor we bear for the Lord or for our neighbors.  Even when our lonely service and sacrifice seem to go unnoticed by anyone, the Lord remembers our names, just as He remembered Simon's name, records them in the Book of Life, and repays us with eternal glory in heaven (Internet).

 

(a)  Here I find myself asking the question: Should I serve and labor in the Lord's church even if I have to force myself to do so?  The reason is that 1 Peter 5:2 says: “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.”

 

(i)      According to 1 Peter 5:2, Scripture clearly teaches that God delights in service that is offered “willingly and joyfully,” so this may appear to conflict with Simon of Cyrene's “forced cross.”  Yet within the seemingly contradictory relationship between these two passages lies the remarkable secret of spiritual maturity by which God leads us toward growth in faith.  To understand this question more deeply, I would like to share three spiritual principles (Internet).

 

a.   Faith That Begins Under Compulsion but Is “Completed” Willingly

 

The compulsion described in Scripture in the case of Simon of Cyrene and the willingness described in 1 Peter are not opposing concepts.  Rather, they represent a gradual process of transformation that takes place along the journey of faith.

 

Simon began with compulsion: Under the threat of the soldiers' swords, he had no way to escape and reluctantly placed the cross upon his shoulders.

 

But he ended with willingness: As he stood beside the Lord, witnessed Him shedding His blood, and heard His voice, Simon's heart was broken.  By the time the cross he had carried unwillingly reached the hill of Golgotha, it had been transformed into a lifetime of gratitude toward the Lord and willing devotion.

 

Our service is the same. Sometimes, because of an assigned position, because of concern for appearances, or because someone strongly urges us, we may find ourselves taking our place and serving “reluctantly.”  But if we had not been in that place, we might never have had the opportunity to experience the Lord's grace so deeply.  Even service that begins reluctantly can mature into gratitude and willingness when we encounter the Lord.

 

b.   “Willingness” Is Not My Emotion but a “Decision of Faith”

One of the common misunderstandings we have is to think of “willingness” as doing something only when we feel emotionally moved and are in a good mood.  But the willingness spoken of in 1 Peter 5:2 is willingness according to “God's will.”

 

Obeying the Lord's will rather than my emotions: My emotions may tell me that I am tired and want to rest.  Even though it may feel like I am forcing myself from a human perspective, if it is the Lord's will, choosing to set aside my own will and saying, “Lord, I will obey You,” is itself the highest form of “willingness by faith.”

 

Rather than doing nothing and waiting until our hearts are filled with joy, there are many more occasions when the Holy Spirit pours the emotion of joy into us only after we discipline ourselves and step forward into a place of obedience.

 

c.   God Uses “Compulsion” to Break Down Our “Limits”

 

Normally, we want to volunteer to serve only to the extent that we can handle and only within the limits where we feel comfortable.  If we remain only within that safe zone, our faith will never grow.

 

At times, God allows a “forced brake” or a “holy pushing” (compulsion), like what happened to Simon of Cyrene, to expand our boundaries and establish a family of faith.

 

When we carry a heavy burden that exceeds our own limits, even if we have to carry it reluctantly, we experience the Lord's strength supplying what we lack.  Only then can we taste the pure spiritual joy of being “eager to serve,” rather than pursuing the “dishonest gain” that Peter speaks of.

 

Overall Conclusion of the Meditation

 

The answer to the question, “Should I serve even if I have to force myself to do so?” is: “Yes, you should. But you must not remain there.”

 

Our first step may be reluctant. Even when our hearts are not moved, the labor of kneeling down and carrying a burden in obedience to the needs of the church and the Lord's command is precious.

 

But our prayer should ultimately move toward the teaching of 1 Peter: “Lord, like Simon of Cyrene, although the mission and service I am currently clinging to may feel forced because of my circumstances and obligations, please let me encounter You deeply at the end of this road, and ultimately restore to me the joy of serving Your church with gratitude, gladness, and a willing heart” (Internet).

 

   (b)  Also here, when I meditate on the fact that although the cross Simon carried was forced upon him, he personally encountered the Lord on that road, would have returned home and shared the gospel, and as a result his sons became strong leaders in the early church and his wife became a great woman of faith, respected enough for the Apostle Paul to call her “my mother,” I am filled with the hope that my small acts of perseverance and obedience today can become the cornerstone upon which my future children and family are established as a distinguished family of faith.  I believe this is especially a source of great hope and comfort when we think of brothers and sisters who are not from a Christian family or who did not grow up in the faith, but who are the first in their families to believe in Jesus and begin a life of faith.

 

a.   You are a “Simon of Cyrene” who changes the spiritual landscape of your family

 

To be the first person in a family that did not grow up in the faith to believe in Jesus is, spiritually speaking, like cultivating and reclaiming a wasteland.  The misunderstanding of family members, loneliness, and conflicts that sometimes arise over ancestral rites or holiday traditions resemble the “unexpected bewilderment and sense of injustice” that Simon must have felt when he was suddenly seized while walking along the road.

 

The place of a spiritual hero: Yet from God's perspective, a first-generation believer is never truly alone. God has chosen and called that person first as the “Simon of Cyrene” of that family in order to save that household.

 

Just as the tears and drops of sweat that Simon shed on the road to Golgotha would have flowed onto his son Rufus and his wife, the tearful prayers and seasons of perseverance that first-generation believers shed in their homes today become holy cornerstones that transform the spiritual inheritance of a family from a curse into a blessing.

 

b.   The “marks of the cross” become the most powerful gospel to our children

 

When Simon returned from Jerusalem to his home in Cyrene, North Africa, his body would likely have carried the blood and wounds left from bearing Jesus' cross—in other words, the marks of the cross (stigmata).  His children would have seen those marks on their father's body and heard about the Jesus whom their father had encountered.  Rather than merely receiving instruction through words, faith was planted in the hearts of his children as they saw the weight of the cross that their father had personally carried home.

 

Today, the power to evangelize our families and establish our children as a distinguished family of faith does not lie in eloquent or impressive words.  When children see their parents quietly enduring the injustices and hardships of life because of the Lord, and willingly serving the church even when it means suffering a loss—in other words, when they see the “small marks of perseverance and obedience” engraved upon their parents' lives—they come to realize that God is alive.

 

Summary and Encouragement for Meditation:

 

“The lonely cross you are carrying now will become a lamp of glory that will one day illuminate your family.”

 

Could Simon, who was struggling under the cross that day, ever have imagined that his family would one day become such a great family of faith that the Apostle Paul would say of his wife in Romans, “Her mother is also my mother” (Rom. 16:13)?

 

If there are brothers and sisters who are now fighting a lonely battle of faith within their families and shedding tears, I hope they will look to this Simon and take courage.  Although it is lonely and heavy right now, through that obedience, in the generation of your children, or perhaps in the generation after them, spiritual giants like “Alexander and Rufus” will surely arise and flourish.  God never forgets the first page written with those tears (Internet).

(3)   Third, in addition to Simon of Cyrene, who followed the road of Jesus' cross, I would like to receive the lessons the Lord gives us as I meditate on the “large crowd of women who were mourning” [πολὺ πλῆθος … γυναικῶν αἳ ἐκόπτοντο καὶ ἐθρήνουν αὐτόν (polý plêthos … gynaikōn hai ekóptonto kai ethrḗnoun autón)] (Lk. 23:27), to whom Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” [Θυγατέρες Ἰερουσαλήμ, μὴ κλαίετε ἐπ’ ἐμέ· πλὴν ἐφ’ ἑαυτὰς κλαίετε καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν (thygatéres Ierousalḗm, mē klaíete ep’ emé, plēn eph’ heautàs klaíete kai epì tà tékna hymōn)] (v. 28).  Why did Jesus say this to them?

 

1.   He Invites Them Beyond Emotional “Sympathy” to Spiritual “Repentance”

 

In the original language, the word ekóptonto (ἐκόπτοντο) refers to the act of beating or striking one's breast while wailing, while ethrḗnoun (ἐθρήνουν) refers to singing a sorrowful lament at a funeral.  In other words, the women were looking at Jesus as a tragic hero who was helplessly suffering or as a pitiful victim, and they were shedding tears of human compassion and sympathy for Him.

 

Jesus' intention: Jesus is never merely an object of pity. He is not being dragged away helplessly; rather, He is willingly walking the road to the cross in order to make atonement for the sins of humanity.  He is the Sovereign Lord of history.

 

Lesson: When we look at the cross, the Lord does not want us to remain at the level of sentimental tears or human sympathy.  The tears we truly ought to shed before the cross are not tears of sympathy for the Lord's suffering, but tears of spiritual realization and repentance: “My sin nailed the Lord to that cross.”

 

2.   He Warned of the Coming “Judgment of History” Rather Than Merely the Suffering Before Their Eyes

 

Jesus told the women, “Do not weep for me,” but instead, “Weep for yourselves and for your children.” This was because He foresaw the historical tragedy that would occur about forty years later, in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem would be thoroughly destroyed by the Roman army and countless children would be killed miserably.

Jesus' intention: His warning was essentially this: “The severe and terrifying judgment of God that you and your children will one day face as the consequence of rejecting the Messiah is far more dreadful and horrific than what I am suffering now as I bleed.”

 

Lesson: We must have spiritual discernment. Believers should know how to fear the eternal spiritual destruction and judgment that awaits souls who have departed from God more than the temporary suffering of this visible world.

 

3.   He Urged Them to Offer a “Holy Prayer of Tears” for the Next Generation

 

The women's tears were directly connected to the well-being of the generation of their children.  The spiritual ignorance of the parents' generation, which rejected the Messiah and crucified Him, would ultimately return upon their children in the form of the terrible consequences of judgment.

 

Jesus' intention: The Lord commanded the mothers to prepare for the day of judgment by beginning now to pray with tears for the souls of their children.

 

Lesson: This word is a powerful warning to us as parents living today.  We lose sleep and anxiously strive for our children's worldly success, grades, and careers, but how much do we actually pray with tears for whether their souls are standing rightly before God and whether they possess the faith necessary to be saved when the coming day of judgment arrives?  The greatest inheritance we can leave our children is not worldly wealth, but the holy tears that parents have poured out before the altar for the souls of their children.

 

Conclusion of Today's Meditation

 

“Change the direction of your tears. Stop shedding merely emotional tears, and shed tears of repentance and for the salvation of souls.”

 

Even in the midst of the extreme suffering in which His entire body was being torn apart, Jesus looked at the women and was concerned about their future and the future of their children.  The Lord's gaze was always directed not toward Himself, but toward souls (Internet).

 

(4)  Fourth, I would like to receive the lesson Jesus gives us as I meditate on His words: “Behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’” (Lk. 23:29).  Why did Jesus say that these three groups were blessed? “Those who never conceived” (αἱ στεῖραι, hai steírai), “The wombs that never gave birth” (αἱ κοιλίαι αἳ οὐκ ἐγέννησαν, hai koilíai hai ouk egénnēsan), “The breasts that never nursed” (μαστοὶ οἳ οὐκ ἔθρεψαν, mastoì hoi ouk éthrepsan)

 

(a)  This passage is one of Jesus' most shocking and tragic eschatological warnings, completely overturning the cultural values of Jewish society at that time.  In Israel at that time, being unable to have children—infertility—was regarded as a curse from God or a great disgrace.  Conversely, bearing children, nursing them, and raising them was regarded as one of the greatest blessings and honors.  Yet Jesus declares that on the day of judgment that is to come, the standards of blessing and curse will be completely reversed.   The reasons He said that these three groups would rather be blessed are as follows (Internet):

 

1.   Not Having to Witness the Miserable Suffering of One's Children Is “Rather a Mercy”

 

According to the records of the historian Josephus, when the Roman army besieged Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as Jesus had prophesied, an unprecedented famine and massacre took place inside the city.

 

There were actual tragedies in which mothers, exhausted by hunger, boiled and ate their own children, while Roman soldiers committed atrocities such as cutting open pregnant women's bellies and throwing young children against stones.

 

Jesus' intention: Mothers who had given birth to and raised children would have to witness with their own eyes, on the day of judgment, their children starving to death and being brutally slaughtered.  Therefore, women without children—those who had never conceived, given birth, or raised children—would have had only their own suffering to endure.  Mothers, however, would have to experience the suffering of their children in addition to their own. Thus, on that miserable day, being without children would rather be a “blessing,” that is, a form of mercy.

 

2.   He Warns How Terrifying the “Price of Sin” Brought About by Spiritual Ignorance Will Be

The Jewish people who shouted for Jesus to be crucified recklessly cried out in Matthew 27:25, “His blood be on us and on our children.”  This curse-like declaration, uttered carelessly because of their spiritual blindness, came upon their children's generation in precisely the next generation, about forty years later.

 

Lesson: The price of sin and judgment will certainly come, and its consequences can be horrifying beyond imagination.  Jesus shows us how the spiritually blind choices of parents can pass on devastating tragedy to the generation of their children, warning us not to be deceived by the ease and comfort of the present but to face the spiritual reality that is coming.

 

3.   He Causes Us to Reflect on the Heavy Responsibility of “Spiritual Nourishment and Nurture” During the Day of Tribulation

 

From the perspective of redemptive history, these words also carry a spiritual meaning.  As the end times draw nearer, building a family of faith and nurturing children with the Word of God becomes increasingly difficult.

 

“μαστοὶ οἳ οὐκ ἔθρεψαν” [mastoì hoi ouk éthrepsan (“breasts that did not nurse”)]: Just as parents are responsible for nursing and raising their children physically, their responsibility to feed their children's souls with the Word of life is extraordinarily weighty.  Yet in the midst of the fierce temptations and tribulations of the world, watching one's children lose their faith and collapse can cause parents spiritual pain that is more agonizing than having one's own flesh torn apart.

 

Lesson: This warning poses a weighty question to us as parents today: “Am I truly feeding and raising my children with solid spiritual nourishment—the Word of God—strong enough for them to overcome tribulation?”

 

Conclusion of Today's Meditation

 

“Wake up before the day comes when blessing becomes a curse and a curse becomes a blessing.”

 

Even until the very last moment as Jesus walked toward the cross, He was more grieved by the future tragedy that human sin would bring and by the suffering of the generation of children than by the physical suffering He Himself would endure.  This agonizing warning from the Lord strikes the hearts of the generation of parents who are neglecting their children's souls while being intoxicated by the world's values that say, “There is peace; there is safety” (Internet).

 

(i)       Here I see the reality that the Lord’s heart-wrenching warning should pierce the hearts of the generation of parents who are neglecting their children’s souls, intoxicated by the world’s values that say, “There is peace; there is safety,” yet, sadly, it does not. I think one reason for this is that parents are raising their children according to the values of the world.  How does the Lord want us to resolve this serious problem?

 

a.   Parents must first recover the “place of weeping” (spiritual awakening of parents).

 

Before Jesus told the women, “Weep for your children,” He first said, “for yourselves (ἐφ’ ἑαυτὰς)” and your children (v. 28).  This means that before focusing on the problem of the children, parents themselves must first repent deeply of their own spiritual blindness and worldliness in having raised their children according to worldly values.

 

The Lord’s way of bringing resolution: Before changing the children, the Lord wants to break open the parents’ wells of tears.  Rather than tears that keep parents awake at night because they fear, “What if my child cannot get into a good college?” there must first arise in parents a deep anguish that grips their hearts: “What if my child turns away from the Lord and heads toward eternal destruction?”  When the parents’ spirits awaken and they begin to weep, the worldly values covering the family can finally be broken.

 

b.   We must reset the family as the “first church.”

 

The tragedy of Jewish society came when they entrusted spiritual education only to the temple and teachers of the Law and lost the “Shema” teaching (Deut. 6:4–9), which commanded them to diligently teach God’s Word in the home.  Today, parents likewise “delegate” their children’s spiritual education to Sunday school or the church system, while at home they pour worldly textbooks and worldly definitions of success into their children.

 

The Lord’s way of bringing resolution: The Lord wants parents to become the priests of their homes again. The ones responsible for feeding the souls of their children with the milk of life should not be academy instructors or YouTubers, but the parents themselves.  We must share God’s Word every day, even if only briefly, show our children the example of our holy lives, and completely reset the central structure of the home from being centered on “worldly success” to being centered on “Jesus Christ.”

 

c.   We must be grafted into Jesus, the “green tree” (the foreshadowing of verse 31).

 

In verse 31, the conclusion of today’s passage, Jesus says, “For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”  Children who have been raised according to worldly values may look impressive on the outside, but ultimately they are nothing more than “dry wood” destined to be burned up and disappear in the fire.  Dry wood cannot solve this serious spiritual addiction by itself.

 

The Lord’s way of bringing resolution: The only solution is to graft our children into the life-giving power of the sinless “green tree,” Jesus Christ.  The greatest inheritance parents can pass on to their children is not worldly credentials or accomplishments, but the “life of Jesus” that remains unshaken in any tribulation.  Parents must keep their children anchored beneath the blood of the Lord through daily prayer so that they will not live as dry wood and face judgment, but instead receive the grace of the Lord, who is the green tree.

 

A Resolution for Meditation and Application

 

“The values of the parents determine the destiny of the children.”

 

The Lord is not asking us right now for elaborate and grand Christian education programs.  He wants us to turn our eyes away from the values of the world that have captured them, face the souls of our children, and begin praying with tears—starting today.  When parents first kneel before this solemn question, “Is my child standing right before God?”, the Holy Spirit will heal our families and transform them into distinguished families of faith (Internet).

 

(5)  Fifth, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words, “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’” [τότε ἄρξονται λέγειν τοῖς ὄρεσιν· Πέσετε ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοῖς βουνοῖς· Καλύψατε ἡμᾶς (Tote arxontai legein tois oresin, Pesete eph’ hemas, kai tois bounois, Kalupsate hemas)] (Lk. 23:30).  What does this statement mean?  How can we apply it to our lives?

 

              (a)  The words recorded in Luke 23:30 are a quotation from the prophecy of the Old Testament prophet Hosea (Hosea 10:8).  They vividly reveal how terrifying and thorough God’s coming judgment will be.  This passage also appears again in Revelation 6:16 in describing the end times. I would like to share the specific meaning of these words and their points of application for our lives today (Internet).

 

1.   The specific meaning of the passage

 

①  Terror and shame worse than death: “Mountains, fall on us.”

 

For people to cry out to enormous mountains, “Fall on us (Πέσετε ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς),” and to the hills, “Cover us (Καλύψατε ἡμᾶς),” is, from an ordinary human perspective, irrational.  If a mountain collapsed upon them or covered them, they would be crushed to death miserably.

 

In other words, this expression is a literary depiction of extreme terror and despair: “How terrifying God’s wrath and judgment will be—so much so that it would be far less painful simply to be crushed beneath a mountain and die without a trace than to remain alive and face them.”

 

②  Inescapable despair before the holy God

 

This statement shows the instinctive response of human beings when they have sinned. Just as Adam, the ancestor of humanity, hid among the trees of the garden after he sinned, human beings have no way to withstand the gaze of God’s holy wrath.

 

It refers to the inescapable despair of sinners who, overwhelmed by the terror and shame of having all their sins exposed before the holy God, want to hide themselves behind enormous natural objects such as mountains and hills.

 

Historical fulfillment: This prophecy was initially fulfilled in the miserable history of the Jews during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, when they fled from the Roman army and hid in underground caves and among rocky crevices, where many starved to death and were buried.

 

2.   Spiritual application to our lives today

 

①  We must remember that there is no “spiritual safe zone” in the world.

 

For the Jews, “mountains (ὄρεσιν)” and “hills (βουνοῖς)” were symbols of strength and safety.  They believed that when tribulation came, they could flee to the mountains and hide.  But on the day of judgment, they would scream to the very mountains they had normally trusted as places of safety, “Fall on us!”

 

Application: We must examine what “mountains” of the world—money, power, health, credentials, real estate, and so forth—we rely on more than God and treat as our safety net.  When the day of God’s solemn judgment and eternal wrath comes, none of the sturdy walls that the world boasts about will be able to protect us. We must trust that our only refuge is the cross of Jesus Christ.

 

②  We must live in such a way that the terror of judgment is transformed into thanksgiving for salvation.

 

These words describe the destiny of those who reject God and refuse the Messiah.  By contrast, for believers who have been grafted into Jesus Christ, the green tree, that terrifying day of judgment becomes instead a day of salvation when tears are wiped away and eternal victory is proclaimed.

 

Application: As we hear the Lord’s warning of such terrifying judgment on the road to the cross, we should deeply thank Him for the redeeming grace that rescued us from the miserable destiny of sin in which we could only cry, “Mountains, cover me.”  At the same time, we should have compassion for our neighbors and children who are still living with the world’s crumbling mountains as their refuge, and become channels through which the gospel is proclaimed so that they may quickly return to Jesus, the ark of salvation.

 

Conclusion of the Meditation

 

“Do not be one who hides beneath a mountain to escape the gaze of God’s wrath; become one who boldly approaches the throne of grace.”

 

The Lord did not speak these words to terrify us. He is lovingly warning us not to be deceived by momentary peace and walk down the road to eternal destruction, but to repent now, while He is still willing to show grace, and flee into the arms of the Lord (Internet).

 

(i)     Here I am paying attention to the lesson that says, “When the day of God’s solemn judgment and eternal wrath comes, none of the sturdy walls that the world boasts about will be able to protect us.  We must trust that our only refuge is the cross of Jesus Christ.” How, then, should we put this lesson into practice?

 

a.   Lay down the “mountains” of the world that I rely on before the cross every day (reordering priorities)

 

Although we confess with our lips, “The Lord alone is my refuge,” we often find our actual sense of security in our bank balance, job stability, or reputation in the world.  These are precisely the “mountains” of the world that will not be able to cover us on the day of judgment.

 

Practical application: When you open your eyes in the morning or come before the Lord in prayer, think about the things you may unconsciously rely on more than God and worry about more than God—your finances, your children’s success, your retirement plans, and so forth.  Then release them from your hands and offer a symbolic confession of faith by placing them beneath the cross of Jesus.

Declare, “Lord, I confess that these things are not sturdy walls that guarantee my future.  Today, my true safety net is only Your precious blood.” Practice surrendering the control of your life to the Lord.

 

b.  When suffering and injustice come, do not run to “human mountains” (a change in our response)

 

When a sudden crisis, injustice, or tribulation comes into our lives, we instinctively try to hide in the “small mountains” of human solutions that we believe can solve things by our own strength—connections, worldly schemes, manipulation, or emotional outbursts.

 

Practical application: When a problem arises, before knocking on the doors of the world, run first to the place of the cross—the secret place of prayer.

 

Do not hide your sense of injustice and shame beneath a mountain.  Pour it out exactly as it is before Jesus Christ, who has already shed His blood for you and borne all your sin and shame.  Rather than seeking the temporary comfort the world offers, seeking the heavenly peace that flows from the cross first is the concrete pattern of life for someone who makes the cross his refuge.

 

c.   Stop laboring to build walls that will collapse and invest in “eternal values” (the use of time and finances)

 

The fact that the mountains and hills will collapse on the day of judgment means that all the material achievements and impressive credentials of this world will disappear like dust in an instant. The only things that remain forever are the Lord’s kingdom and the gospel of His cross.

 

Practical application: Store your life’s resources in a refuge that will never collapse.

 

Examine how you distribute your time, finances, and passion.  If you are spending all your energy building the walls of this world that will disappear in an instant, stop and redirect those resources toward saving souls, passing the heritage of faith on to the next generation, and willingly serving the church, the body of the Lord.  This is a life that prepares for the coming eternal day of wrath and unites itself with the Lord, our only refuge.

 

Daily Prayer for Meditation and Application

 

“Lord, awaken me today from the illusion that the walls of the world I have built will protect me. Help me believe that remaining only under the shadow of Jesus’ cross is the sole and perfect safe place for my soul, and help me anchor my life only in You today.”

 

(6)  Sixth and last, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words, “For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” [ὅτι εἰ ἐν τῷ ὑγρῷ ξύλῳ ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν, ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ τί γένηται (Hoti ei en tō hygrō xylō tauta poiousin, en tō xērō ti genētai)] (Lk. 23:31).  What does this statement mean, and what lesson does it give us?

 

(a)  This is a highly figurative statement in which Jesus, drawing upon the form of a proverb or saying common in Jewish society at the time, proclaimed the inevitability and severity of judgment.  I would like to share the specific meaning contained in this brief but powerful metaphor and the spiritual lessons it gives us today (internet).

 

1.   The specific meaning of the passage (interpretation of the metaphor)

 

The key to understanding this metaphor is identifying what the “green wood” [τῷ ὑγρῷ ξύλῳ (tō hygrō xylō)] and the “dry wood” [τῷ ξηρῷ (tō xērō)] each symbolize. Jesus applied the natural principle that green wood, filled with moisture, does not burn easily when set on fire, whereas dry wood burns rapidly, to spiritual reality.

 

①  Jesus Christ, the “green tree” (the tree of life)

 

Meaning: The green tree refers to Jesus Himself, who is sinless and full of life.  He is like a green tree, without sin or blemish and having never committed unrighteousness.

 

“If they do this when the wood is green”: This means, in effect, “If the Roman authorities and Jewish leaders inflicted such cruel suffering and death on the cross—such a fiery judgment—upon Jesus, the green tree who was innocent and full of life; and if God allowed such a thorough fire of wrath to fall even upon His only begotten Son in order to atone for the sins of humanity, then…”

 

②  Humanity and Jerusalem, which rejected the Messiah, as “dry wood” (firewood)

 

Meaning: The dry wood symbolizes sinful Jewish people and humanity, who have become spiritually dead through sin, have no life within them, and are nothing more than firewood destined to be consumed by fire.

 

“What will happen when it is dry?” If the weight of judgment that fell upon the sinless Lord was this great, then how much more terrible and thorough will be the fire of God’s righteous judgment that will fall upon the Jewish people and humanity who have rejected God’s grace, rejected the Messiah, and continued to live spiritually dried out by sin?  This is a solemn rhetorical question—a warning.

 

2.   Spiritual lessons for us

 

①  We must realize how thorough God’s “justice” is.

 

The metaphor of the green tree shows that God’s justice does not simply overlook sin or cover it up casually. In order to deal with humanity’s sin, God poured out the most severe punishment of the cross upon His beloved only begotten Son, the “green tree.”

 

Lesson: Jesus’ cross is evidence of infinite love, but at the same time it represents the supreme manifestation of God’s justice, showing how terrifying His wrath against sin is.  As we look at the cross, we must abandon our tendency to take sin lightly and recover a spiritual reverence that knows how to fear God.

 

②  We must quickly turn away from the tragedy of living as “dry wood” by ourselves.

 

A life that rejects God’s grace and the supply of His life, no matter how impressive it may appear outwardly, is ultimately nothing more than “dry wood” that will instantly become ashes in the fire of judgment.  The end of a life spent building walls through our own strength and resources is like the fate of dry wood.

 

Lesson: We must continually examine ourselves: “Am I now living like dry wood, completely dried out by relying on my own wisdom and the credentials of the world, or am I firmly attached to the Lord, the source of life?”

 

③  Being grafted into Jesus, the “green tree,” is the only way of salvation.

 

The only way for dry wood to survive the fire of judgment is not to struggle to make itself into a green tree. That is impossible. The only way is to be grafted into Jesus Christ, the green tree (see Romans 11).

 

Lesson: When we believe in the redeeming grace of the Lord’s cross and abide in Him, the life and sap of the green tree flow into us, who were like dry wood, giving us life and making us green.  For those who are in Jesus, the fire of judgment that will come in the future cannot consume us; rather, it will bring about the maturity of eternal life.