Green Wood or Dry Wood?

But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are 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.’ Luke 23:28-30

For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry? Luke 23:31

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ὑγρός

hygros

wet (as if with rain), i.e. (by implication) sappy (fresh):—green

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ξηρός

xēros

(through the idea of scorching); arid; by implication, shrunken, earth (as opposed to water):—dry land, withered.

Pilate has turned Jesus over to the people to be crucified.

The innocent, the unblemished Lamb, the Holy One, the One without sin…if they crucify this One, Christ Jesus, then what will they do to the ones who have sin, are guilty, are the withered ones?

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. John 5:3

Those who are less than perfect, which is all of us…

Those who are withered as dry wood, the man with the withered hand, those with withered, old skin, those who are less than physically whole…

Where do we stand in this scenario? We are not the green, new wood of Jesus. We are, in ways of our own, the ones who are less than He is, by far. Yet, there are ways to remain near to Jesus and return to Him where He sits at the right hand of God.

If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. John 15:6

Let us…

come to Jesus as our LORD, our Savior

know that He died and rose again

abide in Him

obey Him

love Him

love others

be planted in the waters of the Lord

yield fruit that glorifies God

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3

LORD Jesus, teach me Your ways so that when my days are numbered I may return to You for You have called me. May I be steadfast in my walk beside You, obedient in Your way. May I stand near and learn from You so that I may glorify our Father in Heaven. LORD, I want to be planted in You, my Living Water, quenched in the richness of Your Word. May this tree bloom, seed, and become the fruit of love and joy, of peace and patience, of kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, of gentleness, and self-control. May the fruit of righteousness come through You, my Christ, to me so that I may give glory and honor and praise to God. May I walk in Your light for this fruit is found in all that is good, right, and true. I want to be pleasing to You, taking no part in unfruitful works of darkness. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet. It is a light unto my path, keeping me upright and on the narrow path. I pray all of this, LORD. This is not an easy road, but it is the one I desire for all the days of my life. In You, the Bright, Shining Star, I pray. Amen.

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