Forced to Carry

 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

— Mark 15:21

Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King,

I wonder what was going through Simon's mind when the Roman soldier yanked him out of the crowd and forced him to carry your cross. Here he is, 800 miles from home, a Passover pilgrim from North Africa, in Jerusalem caught in a crowd of onlookers viewing a Roman execution. He likely had no idea who you were and no desire to carry your cross. Yet he was compelled by a Roman soldier. You were physically unable and no Roman was going to carry it for you. Asking a local Jew would have started a riot, so that soldier grabbed a stranger.

The stranger's name was Simon. Where was Simon Peter? He was nowhere to be found. The moment when his rabbi needed him to carry that 125 pound crossbeam, a different Simon had to be found. A stranger took his place because Simon Peter had fled. I wonder how many times, Lord, you have had to find someone else—another Bob—to take my place because I feared the moment and fled the scene? Have there been opportunities to carry my cross, but because I ran from that opportunity, you had to find someone else—a stranger—to take my place?

As Simon the Cyrene carried your cross, his two sons likely watched on. Alexander and Rufus, their names recorded for all time because they witnessed their dad carrying the Cross of Christ. Could this be same Rufus the Apostle Paul greets in Romans 16:13? Did these two sons and their dad realize who this condemned man really was and entrust their souls to you?

Gracious Lord, may I not go missing when those moments of invitation arise to carry Your cross, but may I also demonstrate my obedience to my children. May they see me compelled to carry Your cross so that they, too, can carry theirs.

— In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

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