Someone Else's Cross
“A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming from the fields to the city. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.”
“The small detail of soldiers knew what to do when they were in need of help. They looked over the bystanders along the road for someone strong enough to assist them. Once that person was spotted, all a soldier had to do was to reach over and tap him on the shoulder with the butt of his spear, commanding him to step forward and carry the cross, and the man had to do it. Palestine had been occupied by Rome for some time, and this occupying power had the right of impressment. That is, anytime one was needed to provide assistance to a soldier of the occupying army, he was required to do it. ”
Someone Else's Cross:
The Honor of Carrying a Burden Other Than Your Own
It's bad enough being forced to carry a piece of wood that weighed between 75 to 125 pounds for a half of a mile, but imagine that this burden was to assist a criminal sentenced to die by one of the worst forms of capital punishment. Many of us would do this for a loved one. Some of us would even do it for a stranger we thought was a "good person." Very few, if any, of us would have done this by choice for a man whose crime was so bad the authorities thought death was the only just punishment.
Simon of Cyrene was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. He must have been devastated to know that he had traveled all the way from North Africa for Passover only to now become unclean (carrying the cross) and thus unfit to eat the Passover meal. "He didn't know at the time that he would be forever connected with the sacrifice of Jesus, the greatest event that this world would ever know. He didn't know at the time that because of Jesus, he would be changed from a nameless face to an ageless name (Eddie Cloer)!"
Simon did not run up to the Roman guards and ask for Jesus' burden. It was forced on him. The results, however, were eternal.
If you are like me, sometimes, you resent the burdens of others that you are forced to carry. Under the weight of what appears to be someone else's weight of responsibility, you take exception to being taken advantage of or unfairly used. Because we don't see the end from the
beginning, and because as human beings, we have a hard time looking beyond the problems of the current season, we begrudgingly carry the burden. There is no joy in it. However, if the men in the time of the crucifixion knew then what we know now, there would have been a riot to carry the cross of Jesus! Simon would not have cared that he was no longer fit to participate in Passover because he would have known the Passover Lamb who is Jesus Christ.
This story should encourage us. If the Lord chooses us to carry a burden that is not our own, then we must trust that the reason will have eternal value. I firmly believe that God chose Simon to help His son, although the Roman soldiers thought they were in charge. Simon may have even blamed the devil for persecuting him, but I believe it was God that chose him in order to bless him and his family. The cross did not seem like a blessing to Simon that day, but a few days later, I'm sure he realized the great honor that was bestowed upon him. I'm sure he repented of his murmuring and complaining about his unfair treatment when he heard about the resurrection and realized whose burden he had carried.
Why not learn from scripture and rejoice when we are handed our neighbors cross or our siblings cross or our co-workers cross, or even, the cross of a criminal? Trust God that you are in His hands and that He has good things in store for you and that ALL THINGS will work together for the good of those in Christ Jesus. Forget about how bad things look today and remember the joy that comes after the crucifixion is over! Embrace the cross; even if it is not your own!