“The roman soldiers compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry His cross.” (Mark 15 :21)
I am often bewildered by the strong response to the gospel song “Were You there when they crucified my Lord? Sometimes, I tremble, tremble, tremble”. After reading Simon’s story, I understand the stirring feeling of being informed of, invited to, and included into this unique privilege and sacrifice.
Simon was an accidental tourist. He was a foreigner from Cyrene, a region in Libya (Acts 2:10) of North Africa. He came to Jerusalem for celebrating the Passover with his two sons. But as he enters Jerusalem, he notices an unexpected scene of suffering instead of celebration. As he was curious, he went near Jesus to have a closer look of Him. Momentarily, the Roman soldiers noticed this passerby and compelled him to carry the cross of Jesus. Simon was compelled to take part in the sacrifice. What do we learn from Simons’ Sacrifice?
1.Sacrifice comes unexpectedly. Simon didn’t have a choice. But today, we have a choice either to embrace or to run away from the sacrifice. How are we going to respond?
2.Sacrifice brings us closer to Jesus. It brought him into contact with the blood of Jesus when he touched the cross. Nobody can touch the cross and be unchanged. It led the way for a life of renewal.
3. Sacrifice is a life of testimony and legacy. The aftermath of an encounter with Jesus impacted him and his children. Paul mentions about Alexander and Rufus saying “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord and also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well (Rom16:13). Thus, the family of Simon became carriers of the gospel.
4. Sacrifice is not isolation. We notice that Jesus walks ahead of Simon. We will never be left to walk alone through the sacrifice. Jesus will always go before us. Finally, it was not Simon but Jesus who took the crucifixion upon him at the finish line. Thus, we receive life by His death.
Simon of Cyrene though a foreigner was pushed into the pages of history because of that one divine experience that ended up himself as a Messianic pilgrim coming into faith. If we embrace our sacrifice willingly then the Lord will give the strength to carry His cross. He will also reward us by welcoming us into His eternal abode saying, “Enter into the joy of His salvation”. His burdens are not unbearable. We are stronger than we think. We are Big Enough for our Sacrifice!!