Luke 23:31

Luke 23:31

For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

King James Version (KJV)

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Jesus closes with a proverb: if this is done to green wood, what will become of the dry?

What Does Luke 23:31 Mean?

Green wood resists fire; dry wood is ready fuel. If such violence can fall on Jesus — the living, fruitful, innocent tree — what will the coming fire do to a city dry and ripe for burning?

Jesus is the green tree, and even he is not spared the flame of that day; what then of wood long dead and dry? The proverb presses gently on every conscience: judgment is real, mercy is presently offered, and the wise run now to the Savior, who bore the fire so that others need never feel it.

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