Simon of Cyrene, Compelled to Bear the Cross

This passage deals with the event in which, as Jesus carried the cross toward the hill of Golgotha, Simon of Cyrene, who happened to be there, was compelled by Roman soldiers to carry the cross. Simon had come to Jerusalem to keep the Passover and was caught up in a sudden situation that made him share in Jesus' suffering, and along the way he gradually came to understand Jesus' endurance and the meaning of his atonement.

The sermon points out that the cross Simon was compelled to carry became the occasion that opened his spiritual eyes and led him to meet Jesus as Savior. Though it began in fear and against his will, Simon, having witnessed Jesus' death firsthand and experienced the resurrection, was changed into a devoted believer, and his family too became a household of deep faith, greatly loved by the apostle Paul. This shows how an event that seemed like chance, contrary to human intentions, can lead within God's plan to remarkable blessing and spiritual change.

We must meditate deeply on what grace comes when, like Simon, rather than moving according to our own will or circumstances, we take on the suffering and mission God has prepared, even unwillingly, and obey. Today's passage asks how great a blessing returns to a life that keeps an unchanging faith even in the face of the world's temptations and fears, and carries out the mission God has given.