8: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

"A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?' " - Luke 23:27-31

"It's not over until it's over" - Yogi Berra

This station is often used to demonstrate Jesus's compassion towards the women of Jerusalem - even though he's near death. But based on scripture (and only in Luke's account), Jesus is trying to teach us more than comfort us. He sees an opportunity, and is moved by the women of Jerusalem so much that he gathers his wits and continues to preach. He's been whipped, beaten and forced to carry a heavy wooden cross to his ultimate, painful death. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, he presses on, teaching along the way. He's silently ministered to Simon, and now openly to the women of Jerusalem.

And this message doesn't seem as supportive, but rather more of a warning. That hard times are coming ahead - so much so that mothers would wish they never had their children, so that they wouldn't have to experience this hardship. And Jesus is using similar imagery as that described in the book of Hosea to get his point across, as a way to strengthen his teaching. But while it seems doom-and-gloom, we again know the outcome. That, no matter what, our belief in Him will always, always, always bring us to Everlasting Life.

So don't weep for Him. Thank Him. For it is through the loss of His life that we gain ours.