Luke 23:31: “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry tree.?”
This is an example of a verse which is unintelligible in the Greek, but it makes perfect sense when read in the Aramaic or language that Jesus actually spoke.
When translating one must know something about rabbinic methods of Scriptural interpretation. In a very rabbinic way Jesus is giving a hint into an Old Testament passage found in Ezekiel 20:47, “And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.”
In this prophecy Ezekiel declares that God will send a forest fire, it will sweep through the forest of Negeb. The heat was so intense that even the green trees were burned up. Allegorically, the green tree represents the righteous and the dry tree the not so righteous. Here’s the kicker, the sages also see the Green Tree as a representation of the Messiah.
Now back to Luke. As Jesus was being led to the cross a company of women followed Jesus weeping. Jesus turned to them and said: “Weep not for me but for yourselves and your children.” Jesus was making a reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem. In other words: “If this is done in the Green Tree (referring to Himself) what will happen to the dry trees, your children who will follow me?”
The Aramaic text reads, “For if they do these things so in the Green Tree, what will be done with dry wood?” The Greek text in verse 31 literally says: “If they do these things in a Green Tree.” The Aramaic says so in which is an Aramaic idiom meaning to do to someone. If you do not consider this idiom you can get a little confused when translating this passage. The RSV for instance recognizes the Aramaic use of dry wood but then translates this as: “For if they do this when the wood is green, what will they do when it is dry?’ Some translations say green wood rather than Green Tree missing the illusion to the Messianic intent behind the words Green Tree as shown in Ezekiel 20:47.
If we were to understand that Jesus was using a rabbinic form of teaching by hinting at an Old Testament passage then we would see that this passage should be more correctly translated: “For if he do these things to a Green Tree…” as a reference to Ezekiel 20:47 which was recognized by the sages and the people of that day as a reference to the Messiah in Ezekiel 20:47. Thus when Jesus referred to Himself as the Green Tree, He was declaring Himself to be the Messiah.
It is have often been said that nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus actually call Himself the Messiah and some take that to deny the divinity of Jesus. However, a little understanding of the teachings of those through whom the Messiah came, the Jews themselves who ironically rejected Him as the Messiah, would reveal that Jesus was constantly declaring Himself as the Messiah, as God Himself in human form. He may not have said openly, “I am the Messiah” but he sure dropped enough hints.
Jesus was also hinting at another Aramaic symbolism. Green wood was a symbol of innocence where dry wood was symbolic of guilt. If they did this to an innocent man how much more when followers of Christ face who will be forced to live under Roman law which would eventually make it illegal to be a believer. A greater suffering was about to come for the children of these women who would follow after Jesus. Green wood burns slowly, but dry wood burns much quicker.
In this Jesus was declaring that He was the Messiah and warned that following him would not be an easy journey. His followers would also be called upon to pick up their cross daily and share in His sufferings for the sake of bringing His message to a lost world. Jesus was not using some slick marketing skill promising all sorts of wonderful things like prosperity, restored relationships, constant joy, but instead he was promising a walk on the Calvary road if you choose to follow Him. Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not to be motivated by getting a bag of goodies and when the goodies run out you run to another God. Instead it is like a marriage, you marry out of the desire to make a commitment to love someone in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, no matter what happens you want to do it with that person. So too with God, no matter what happens you committed yourself to love God for better or for worse, whatever happens, you want it to happen together with God.
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