“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.” – Luke 23:26
Can you imagine being Simon? You’ve traveled (or perhaps moved) from North Africa and were innocently headed into Jerusalem for the festivities surrounding Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Suddenly a group Roman soldiers grab you and force you to carry the heavy cross of a condemned criminal. That criminal, one Jesus of Nazareth, is too weak from His earlier beating and scourging to carry the heavy wooden cross beam to His place of execution. So you’re shoved into this terrible procession, made to follow Jesus to the place of death.
It must have been confusing, embarrassing, frustrating, uncomfortable, and perhaps even terrifying. The casual violence and cruelty of Rome could easily have been directed toward Simon as he followed Jesus. And yet…
Mark’s gospel records that Simon is the father of Alexander and Rufus. This implies that those two boys, all grown up by the time of Mark’s writing, were well known to the Christian community. It would seem that the unexpected events of that awful day began a process that led to new life and salvation for the family of Simon of Cyrene. It would seem that by taking up His cross and following Him, Simon ultimately met Jesus.
For most, these things happen in the opposite order. First, we meet Jesus, then we’re called to take up our cross and follow Him. Either way, an encounter with Jesus should never leave us unchanged or unchallenged. Every true follower of Jesus must ultimately take up a cross and follow Him as Simon did. Through life and death, suffering and triumph. Have you? Will you?