[Part A] As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
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Part A
You will note how Luke tells nothing of Jesus being flogged, nor of Pilate washing his hands before a crowd. This lack says Luke tells here of a private meeting between Pilate and the Sanhedrin, where Pilate informed them of his decision to set Jesus free. When the name Barabbas was brought up, then this ‘behind the scenes’ negotiation becomes akin to sports fixing contests before they are pretended to be fought. Thus, after these scene detailed prior by Luke, then the public was allowed to see the farce that was pretending to offer a crowd the chance to choose between Jesus Barabbas and Jesus Christ. All the while, the fix was in and the crowd was seeded with the leaders of the Jews who would vocally vote for Barabbas and therefore against Jesus. In this way all stories are true, with no contrary or doubtful.
Verse twenty-six begins with a capitalized “Kia,” which shows this is a transitional section, with this verse being one of great importance. The whole of this verse shows literally to state this: “Kai when they led away himself , having seized Simon , a certain Cyrene , coming away from of country , they placed upon himself this cross , to bear after of this Jesus .” In this, the capitalized “Kai” says it is most important to grasp Jesus being “led away” from his holding cell in Fort Antonia. Jesus was “led away” to Golgotha, along with two other sentenced to die men (criminals). The divine elevation in meaning comes from seeing “himself” as “his soul” being “led away” at the same time. This must be seen as the soul of Jesus barely connecting to his physical body; so, he was collapsing under the weight of the cross, unable to ‘keep the line moving.’
In this collapse, we have to refer to both Matthew and Mark writing that Pilate, after washing his hands of any responsibility for the blood spilled by Jesus, as that is where we are told Pilate ordered Jesus “scourged” or “flogged.” While the two criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus have nothing written about their ability to carry their crosses to Golgotha, it can be assumed they naturally struggled in doing so; but they did not need anyone from the pilgrim crowd (only Jews would have been allowed in Jerusalem during the Passover festival) was picked out to help them, like we read here of Jesus needing help. While it is only my opinion (perhaps assisted by Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion), but I am of the firm opinion that Pilate ordered Jesus to be whipped to within an inch of life; and, I believe the reason is Pilate did not want Jesus suffering on a Roman cross for long. To see the great importance of Luke writing, “when they led away his soul” (“himself”), it was due to his having received such a punishing scourging. Jesus was already almost dead.
In the naming of “Simon,” saying he was “a certain Cyrene,” the name means “He Who Hears” (the same name given to “Peter,” the brother of Andrew), the place known as “Cyrene” was in modern costal Libya. By Luke writing that he was “a certain Cyrene,” he had come to know Jesus during his ministry, probably during a prior Passover festival encounter. The name meaning “He Who Hears” says he heard the voice of Yahweh (or one of His angels) calling Simon to be along the path that Jesus would take. It is very doubtful that this precession of men to be executed would have been advertised or promoted, like network media does for sports events today. This means Simon the certain Cyrene was led by Yahweh to be where His Son would need a helping hand; and, most likely, Jesus had been a helping hand to Simon, making him be “certain.” Simon was a pilgrim, as identified by “coming away from of country,” so it is also possible that he was camped outside the walls of Jerusalem and not wealthy enough to afford lodging otherwise. I see Simon being near the Damascus Gate, which is near Fort Antonia; and, he just ‘happened’ to be there at that time of need (divinely led).
In verse twenty-seven, we find it beginning with the capitalized word “Ēkolouthei,” which is in the third-person, divinely elevating “They” who were “accompanying himself.” Just as Simon was “a certain Cyrene,” so too were those who also walked the same path of Jesus. The divine elevation of “following” says “They were followers” of Jesus. The rest of this verse then literally says, “Were following now himself assemblage of this people , kai of women , who were lamenting himself .”The separation by a comma, after saying “assemblage of this people,” that says Jews of both sexes; but the designation that says “of women” speaks of those relatives of Jesus who would stay with him until his body would be laid in the tomb. They were greatly suffering emotionally seeing Jesus in this near death state, with blood obviously soaking his robe. It has to be understood that Jesus being arrested was somewhat expected. His punishment was also somewhat expected. Jesus had said he would be killed; but having Jesus taken away from them and then suddenly greatly abused, being led to his crucifixion … nobody expected anything like this that was then before them.
Verse twenty-eight Jesus is revived by the presence of Simon the Cyrene; so, his attention turns to the sounds of the laments and speaks to them. Here, this verse fully says in a literal translation: “having changed direction now towards themselves , <this> Jesus he spoke , Daughters of Jerusalem , not you weep on the basis of myself , except on the basis of yourselves weep , kai on the basis of these inhabitants of yourselves .” In this verse there four words where “self” or “selves” needs to be read as “soul” or “souls.” When Luke wrote “strapheis,” the standard translation says “having turned.” This gives the impression that weak Jesus is now freed from carrying the cross, so he can address those crying over his state of existence. Even if that is somewhat true, the loudness of the cries and the clamor of the packed state of Jerusalem during the Passover festival would mean Jesus would have to stand up and speak loudly. That did not happen. Jesus was trying to carry his cross alongside Simon the Cyrene; so, “having turned” means the soul of Jesus “transitioned” or did an “about-face,” speaking to those souls in which his soul had been placed, during his ministry. He spoke to them as the Father; and, he did so Spiritually.
In the second segment, where it says, “<this> Jesus he spoke,” the angle brackets surround the article “ho” says that spoken by Jesus was silent. Having “turned” means he went inwardly, so his “soul” (“myself”) spoke to their “souls” (“themselves”). In the use of capitalization, the word translating clearly as “Daughters” elevates divinely the “souls” of his “followers” to that being “Bridesmaids” of Yahweh, which all Jews were expected to be (males and females, those whose lamps were never filled and those who lamps were well maintained). As “Daughters,” they were “human descendants” of those led away from Egypt by Moses; and, they were not Gentiles (Romans). As those “of Jerusalem,” that name means “Teaching Peace,” which was what their engagement to Yahweh would lead them to become, as ministers of His, as His wives. They would be “Teaching Peace” as those “having converted” from sinner to saint, through the rebirth within their souls of Jesus (a name meaning “Yah[weh] Saves”). Still, the city Jerusalem was led by false prophets – those who were murdering Jesus – so the soul of Jesus was warning these “Daughters” not to be misled by the god of Judaism and the harlot that was the soul of that city (the Sanhedrin, the Hasmoneans), and sell their souls to a false narrative as ‘children of God.’
This said to the Jews who followed Jesus in his ministry that their tears needed not be for his soul, as his soul was assured eternal life. The importance of crying and lamenting loudly needed to be for their own souls finding that same promise. Where the NRSV translates “weep for yourselves and for your children,” the Greek word “tekna” is normally translated as “children.” However, it can imply “descendants” or “inhabitants,” where the usage can mean “a child living in willing dependence” on another. When that is related to a body of flesh and the soul that resides within that flesh, it is the soul that becomes the “descendant” or “inhabitant” of its flesh, “willingly” allowing that flesh to lead it to an afterlife. While Jesus (as Yahweh) was concerned for parents teaching their “children,” the reality was Jesus was near death, unable to bear the weight of the instrument of death laid upon his shoulders because all those who were crying had become “Daughters of Jerusalem” – the “children” of corruption; so, their children (as it was then) were incapable of being taught anything other than the ‘same ole same ole.’ They had to transform their souls (“themselves”), becoming “children” of Yahweh (His wives, giving birth to His Son), or their “weeping” would be over the loss of that soul.
Verse twenty-nine then continues this Spiritual conversation coming from the Father through the Son. Here, Jesus’ soul spoke metaphorically, relative to the “children of their souls” (“themselves”). The whole of this verse can be seen literally saying, “because behold! , they are coming days within which they will command , Blessed those barren women , kai those wombs those not gave birth , kai breasts those not fed nourishment .” The first word in this verse is “hoti,” which is stating the reason or “cause” that “weep for the children of your souls” will bring, when weeping for self-salvation. That “cause” must be seen spiritually (“behold!”). The capitalization of “Makariai,” which ordinarily means “happy,” implying someone “to be envied,” the divine elevation brings out the truth that only Yahweh can “Bless” anyone; and, Yahweh does not “Bless” bodies of flesh. He only “Blesses” souls. The plural form then divinely elevates “They” (“Those souls”) who are “Blessed,” “because” “They are barren women” (a reference to the “Daughters of Jerusalem”). Being “barren” means no longer bringing forth children of Judaism, who are taught by false prophets and hired hands to go away from Yahweh. A soul no longer giving new births to the Temple (as sacrifices, like Jesus was being sacrificed) is “barren” because it no longer fuels that evil system. The two important statements made about that “Blessed” state of soul-being says sterilization kills Judaism, as a self-absorbed religion that uses the “children souls” to profit themselves, as the expense of lost souls, none of whom are led to find Yahweh and become divinely married. Thus, there is no passing on of the evil system into the “breasts” that are home-schooled Jews, who have dry ‘milk’ to feed their children, so they will be “nourished” by emptiness. That no longer happening means a soul has been “Blessed” by barrenness in the flesh that calls itself the “children of Israel.”
Verse thirty then continues this metaphorical message from Yahweh to the “Daughters” that “followed” Jesus. Here, the whole of the verse can be seen literally saying, “at that time They will commence to command to those mountains , [You] Fall on the basis of ourselves , Kai to those hills , [You] Veil ourselves .” In this, the metaphor needs to clearly be seen as the souls of those “Blessed” commanding to the Temple elite (“those mountains”) that they are “Fallen.” The divine elevation of “Arxontai,” a third-person plural future statement of “Beginning,” foretells of the advent (a word meaning “beginning”) of Christianity. That beginning will inform Judaism that it has “Collapsed” in spiritual value, as lowly as a religion can become; so, while prostrated, face down in the dirt, it should use that time in that position to confess it sins and beg Yahweh for forgiveness. The major importance marked by the capitalized “Kai” then points to the ”hills,” which is the land itself – that the flesh wants to refer to as “Who Retains God” (“Israel”), when “Israel” can only be applied to a soul – one “Blessed” by Yahweh. Thus, the ‘Promised Land’ becomes the powerful “Veil, Concealment, Hiding” of the truth from the people (“their souls” as “ourselves”), making Jews believe they are special because God gave them property in the physical world; when Yahweh only gives Spiritual promises – the Promised Land is Heaven for one’s soul.
In verse thirty-one, Yahweh asked a question, through the soul of His Son, which placed initial focus on the divinely elevated “Cause” (using a capitalized “Hoti”) of this new “Beginning,” when the old will be replaced by the new. The whole of this question is then literally asked as this: “Because if within this moist wood , these they make ; within this withered , what might they give birth to ?” Here, the metaphor is of the living and the dead, where a “tree” becomes metaphor for a body of flesh. Jesus was the reflection of a “green tree,” which is “wood” made “moist” from inner sap and fluids provides the truth of life to that otherwise dead. Here, Yahweh spoke of the dead wood used to construct a crucifix. Asking, “What can be born from wood lacking inner life’ moisture, other than instruments of death?” says a religion whose leaders add no moisture that brings eternal life is the dead leading those born of souls to die without them. The Temple elite were masters of “withering,” meaning they produced no fruit (“children”) for Yahweh.
Verse thirty-two is displayed by the NRSV as separate from this ‘Part A,’ as being introductory to ‘Part B.’ Of course, these are my designation of ‘parts,’ and the two could be presented as separate stories: to Golgotha and at Golgotha. In that way, this verse better fits with the ‘to Golgotha’ division; and, it becomes an example of how a “withered wood” leads not only the innocent (Jesus) to a torturous death, but also all sons raised without the moisture of salvation. Thus, the first word being a capitalized “Ēgonto,” which divinely elevates to the third-person plural, as “They” becomes an important reflection of Those” created by Judaism – criminals sentenced to death. The root word (“agó”) meaning “to lead, bring, carry” now reflects back on the beginning of this section (Part A), where we read “they led away” Jesus (from “apēgagon”), “the” are the rulers of Jerusalem, with “They” now being those over whom “they” rule, which are “led away” from Yahweh, not towards Him.
The whole of this verse then literally says, “[They were being] Led away now kai different criminals two , together with himself to have their lives taken away .” This says that as Simon the Cyrene bore the brunt of the weight of Jesus’ cross, as he struggled to keep pace, while Yahweh spoke Spiritually to his “followers,” at that same time “They were led away” with Jesus. The importance brings out that there were “two,” who were “different” than Jesus (from “heteroi” meaning “other” or “different”). Thy were “different” in the fact that they were indeed “criminals,” whereas Jesus had been declared by Pilate to be without cause, three times. These men was marched along the same path, at the same time, which says “they were led” by Temple rulers who saw only “two” ways: Us Jews and Them Gentiles; and, Us holy and Them unholy. Guilt and innocence were not within “their souls” to judge.