Luke 21:23

“Woe to those who are with child and to those who are breast-feeding in those days! For there will be great distress on the land, and wrath to this people.”

The awfulness of the days that are coming on the land and on Jerusalem are emphasised in terms of the weakest and most vulnerable, those who are pregnant or breast-feeding. And yet in this very application (for the old and blind and lame are not mentioned) there is also stress on the effect it will have on the growth of the seed of these people. Even the most innocent will be affected. Many will be still born or will die in infancy because of what is coming.

We note that Luke omits the suggestion that they pray that their flight might not be in the winter. That suggestion (which did not say that it would be in the winter, only that they should pray that it was not) was in order to compound the horror. If it was not in the winter that would be at least one mercy. Instead he emphasises the distress in another way. Jesus' full speech, which would include both, must have been even more terrifying.

‘Wrath.' This is not a normal Lucan concept and confirms that he is giving us words that have been passed on to him. But it is not an idea from which he withdraws (see also Luke 3:7). The idea is of impending doom because of the nature of God in response to sin (compare Mark 3:5; John 3:36; John 10 times in Romans 9 times elsewhere in Paul's letters; twice in Hebrews; twice in James and six times in Revelation). It is the inevitable consequence of sin (Romans 1:18).