Rachel Workman: 26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from
Cyrene,[b] happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized
him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large
crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned
and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will
say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not
borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the
mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’[c] 31 For if
these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is
dry?[d]”
I wouldn't want to be left here when this
comes true. I've included a commentary that I think helps to understand this.
For behold the days are coming,.... The time
is hastening on; yet a little while, a few years more, and such times of
distress will be:
in the which they shall say; or it shall be commonly said; it will
be in every one's mouth:
blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the
paps that never gave suck; that is, happy wilt those persons be who have no
children, to be starved to death, for want of bread; or to be killed with the
sword before their eyes, which must greatly enhance their own miseries. Dr.
Hammond thinks, that one passage particularly is referred to, related by
Josephus; that when Titus had so closely encompassed the city with a wall, that
there was no coming out for provisions, upon which a sore famine commenced, so
that they fed on dung and dirt, and shoes, and girdles, one rich and noble
woman, whose name was Mary, the daughter of Eleazar, being stripped of all she
had, by the seditious, killed her own child, and dressed it, and ate part of
it; and the other part being found by the soldiers that broke in upon her, the
news of this shocking fact was spread all over the city, and every one looked
with horror upon it, and with the same compassion, as if they had done it
themselves: and then might those words be said, "blessed are the barren,
and the wombs that never bare", &c. who, though starving themselves,
were under no temptation to do such a detestable action.
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John Burnett: 6 When they led Him away,
they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed
on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and
of women who were [a]mourning and lamenting Him. 28 But
Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me,
but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For
behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and
the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then
they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the
hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these
things [b]when the tree is green, what will
happen [c]when it is dry?” Prophesy from the mouth of
the One who will make it so. The tree is green right now. Israel is
flourishing but their will come a time when antichrist will come to persecute
Israel and Christians. During this time God will pour out His wrath on
the unbelievers left on the earth after the rapture. It will be so bad
that people will say what Jesus is quoted saying in these verses.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 23:32-34
32 Two
others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place
called The Skull,[e] they nailed him to the cross. And the
criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father,
forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[f]
And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[g]
