Luke 23:27-31 - Jesus and the "Daughters of Jerusalem"

Aswe study Luke 23, a good way to recall the events of this chapter is to rememberthat Jesus had seven encounters or conversations with at least seven people orgroups. There was Pilate (vv. 1-25); King Herod (vv. 7-12); Simon the Cyrenian(v. 26); the Jerusalem women (vv. 27-31); the two criminals (vv. 32-43); HisFather (vv.44-49); and Joseph of Arimathea. Whenwe arrive at Luke 23:27-31 Jesus has already gone through terrible beatings andsuffering. At this point, on the way to Golgotha, He is not able to carry Hiscross and Simon of Cyrene is carrying it for Him.  It is now that He has a word for the women ofJerusalem.  Lukeinforms us that “a great multitude of the people followed Him” (v. 27). Publicexecutions drew crowds of spectators, and one involving Jesus would especiallyattract attention. Add to this the fact that Jerusalem was crowded withpilgrims, possibly over a million people could have been in the city at thetime of Passover, so it is not difficult to believe that a "greatmultitude" was following the condemned Man to Calvary. Inthat crowd was a group of women who openly wept and lamented as theysympathized with Jesus and contemplated the terrible spiritual condition oftheir nation. It has been pointed out by Bible commentators, that as far as theGospel records are concerned, no woman was ever an enemy of Jesus. Nor wasJesus ever the enemy of womankind. His example, His teachings, and most of all,His redemption have done much to dignify and elevate women.  Ifyou remember, the news of His birth was shared with a Jewish maiden, His deathwas witnessed by grieving women, and the good news of His resurrection wasannounced first to a woman who had been demon-possessed. Jesusappreciated their sympathy and used it to teach them and us an important lesson(vv. 28-31). While they were weeping over the injustice of one man's death, Jesuswas looking ahead and grieving over the terrible destruction of the entirenation, a judgment that was wholly justified. Jesus had told His disciplesabout this judgment in Luke 19:41-44: “Now as He drew near, He saw the cityand wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in thisyour day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden fromyour eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build anembankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and levelyou, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave inyou one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of yourvisitation."  Jesuslooking ahead, even on His way to the cross, knew it would be the women andchildren who would suffer the most, a fact supported by history. Just fortyyears later in 70AD, when Titus and the Romans army surrounded Jerusalem, they attemptedto starve the Jews into submission. It has been noted by historians that hungrymen, defending their city, took food from their suffering wives and childrenand even killed and ate their own flesh and blood to keep enough strength tofight. It was a terrible terrible time of judgment that Jesus was speaking of. Thenation of Israel was like a "green tree" during the years when Jesuswas on earth. It was a time of blessing and opportunity, and it should havebeen a time of fruitfulness. But the nation rejected Him and became like a"dry tree," fit only for the fire. Jesus often would have gatheredHis people together, but they would not (Matthew 23:37-39). In condemning Him,they only condemned themselves. Wemight paraphrase His words: "If the Roman authorities do this to One whois innocent, what will they do to you who are guilty? When the day of judgmentarrives, can there be any escape for you?" Myfriend, Jesus has also warned us of another day of judgment coming. Will you beprepared? Godbless!