What does "if they do these things" in Luke 23:31 imply about human nature? Setting the Scene • Luke 23:27-31 recounts Jesus’ march to Golgotha. Women are weeping for Him, yet He redirects their grief toward themselves and their children, foretelling judgment. • Verse 31: “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” – “Tree is green” = a time of spiritual opportunity and freshness—the very presence of the sinless Son of God. – “Tree is dry” = a future season of moral barrenness and judgment, especially the devastation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but ultimately any era in which God’s restraining grace is rejected. What Are “These Things”? • Arresting, mocking, scourging, and crucifying the innocent Messiah. • Systemic injustice: religious leaders, political authorities, and crowds unite in wickedness. • Willful blindness to truth though it stands plainly before them. Human Nature Exposed • If humanity will torture and kill Perfect Goodness in its midst, it will plunge even deeper into evil when goodness seems absent. • The phrase highlights innate depravity; the problem is not circumstance but the heart (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-12). • External religion or culture cannot restrain sin when the heart refuses the Lord (Isaiah 29:13). • Apart from divine grace, people instinctively choose darkness over light (John 3:19-20). Supporting Scriptures • Romans 1:28-32 – a catalogue of sins flowing from a mind that rejects God. • Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” • Ecclesiastes 9:3 – “The hearts of men are full of evil and madness is in their hearts while they live.” • 2 Timothy 3:1-4 – perilous last-days portrait of human character when restraint is lifted. Living in Light of This Truth • Marvel at Christ’s love: He knowingly endured the cross for people capable of such cruelty (Romans 5:8). • Guard the heart: even believers still battle the flesh; vigilance and daily repentance are essential (Galatians 5:16-17). • Proclaim the gospel: society’s core problem is sin, and only the new birth changes nature (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17). • Anticipate judgment and redemption: the “dry tree” warning assures ultimate accountability while pointing to Christ’s return when righteousness will reign (Revelation 19:11-16). |
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