A Life of Bearing the Cross

Simon of Cyrene came to Jerusalem for the Passover, and suddenly he was met with an order: “Carry the cross.” Because it happened in an instant, Simon must have been startled and confused.

Yet as Jesus carried the cross to fulfill the will of God, Simon ended up carrying that very cross for Jesus. Would that not have become, for the rest of his life, the most honorable mark left upon him?

 We cannot say exactly when, but Simon surely came to understand the meaning of the cross he carried—the very cross on which Jesus was crucified. When he first took it up, it was heavy and exhausting. It was a painful and shameful cross. It was a cruel instrument of execution, meant to nail a man to death.

But through Jesus, who died on that cross, Simon came to know this truth: that his sins were forgiven, and that new life—eternal life—was given.

Whether we want it or not, bearing the cross is something we as Christians must do. Just as Jesus bore the cross to forgive our sins, each of us must take up our own cross in the course of our lives. 

Then what is the cross given to me? What burden has God placed upon me—what weight is He giving me because He desires to work through me? What does God desire through the whole course of my life? What suffering do I endure for Jesus and for the gospel?

In truth, bearing the cross can be difficult. At times we may want to give up. And yet we must carry it, because Jesus first carried the cross to accomplish the will of God. As Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus’ cross—even if compelled—so we also must follow Jesus and carry the cross given to us, even when we do not feel like carrying it. 

For the life of bearing the cross is the life that the one who follows Jesus must live. It is the life of a true disciple.

Luke 23:26

"And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus."

Pastor Paul