Good Friday Meditation:
Cross Bearing in the 21st Century
Scripture: Mark 15:21-32
Introduction
Worn, haggard, loaded down with the cross on which he is to die, Jesus staggers out toward Calvary. He stumbles and falls from sheer weakness. They drag him to his feet, but he stumbles again and again... he falls. He cannot rise now, because his strength is gone. There Christ lies with the curious crowd looking on. It was a scene to make anyone weep. But throughout this disgraceful trial, and throughout his journey to Calvary, Jesus had borne himself with firmness, dignity and calm. (Silent prayer)
One of the faces during Jesus’ journey to the Calvary that has always captured my imagination is a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene. There is little we know about him, yet he is present in all of the Gospels. But what we do know is his name was Simon and that he was from the city of Cyrene in Northern Africa. The New Testament also identifies him as the father of Alexander and Rufus, two members of the early group of Christians who followed Jesus.
According to the Gospel of Mark, Simon comes into the picture of the passion at a critical time. After the soldiers had beaten Jesus and flogged him, they made Jesus carry his cross from Jerusalem to Golgotha. At one point the weight of the cross became too heavy for Jesus. So the Roman soldiers looked around and there was Simon, a passerby, probably a pilgrim on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. There is no record of any conversation between Simon and Jesus. With this story before us, we see the subject of Cross-bearing. For whoever walks with Christ is expected to carry a cross. Thus, it is safe to say that there is no Christianity without the Cross. Jesus made this clear when he told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34, NRSV)
Be that as it may, in this narrative of Simon of Cyrene, we discover what cross-bearing involves. In Simon’s case, certainly he did not expect his cross. There was an UNEXPECTEDNESS of the Cross. Literally, that is how it was for Simon. Simon had walked into his Calvary. There was no announcement. It took him by surprise. He was not a member of the mob, that jeered and mocked Christ, neither was he a spectator. He was minding his own business as it were. So there was every reason why he should be the last to be chosen. But all at once Simon finds himself singled out and loaded down with the Cross of Jesus Christ.
How symbolic it is for us today. Sometimes, our cross comes as a surprise. Suffering and pain do not wait to be announced. They enter without introduction. We never know what tomorrow holds. We are never sure when death, or sickness would come our way because our cross do not always proclaim itself. Isn’t this our present lot and “new reality” in the 21st Century... in this very moment as we face the Covid-19 pandemic? How our lives have changed so unexpectedly! This Good Friday ...this Easter will be like no other...this “new reality”will become our “lived reality!”
How many of us did not expect certain things to happen to us, and they did any way. There is something heroic about the crosses that people choose to bear: a young person who chooses to lead a life of service and commitment to those less fortunate; an attorney who leaves an established law practice to work with the homeless.
Simon of Cyrene, however, represents a great company of men and women who in every age are forced to bear a cross they did not choose. Every detail in Simon’s experience, I believe, has some parallel in our own. I think, for example, of those individuals who find themselves facing a debilitating illness, which they never would have chosen. Suddenly, they find themselves face to face with a situation that they would have never imagined. Or, I think of those parents who find themselves struggling with a child that is mentally challenged—uncertain of what to do, knowing that they face a lifetime of difficult decisions and inevitable heartache. The point is that many of us will one day face a choice that we would not have chosen for ourselves.
However, our cross differs from Christ’s. Jesus expected his cross. He knew that he was born to die and chose the way of Gethsemane and Calvary. Christ chose the way of the cross, for the salvation of humanity. The shadow of the cross was always on his path. He steadfastly set his face to Jerusalem. God spares us this anticipation and assures us that when the cross comes strength will be given.
Our text from Mark 15:21, reminds us that the soldiers compelled Simon to carry the cross of Jesus. This suggests that there is COMPULSION of the cross.
What has Simon ever done to deserve such an experience? He was attending to his own business. He was a peaceful, law abiding citizen. He had nothing to do with the trial. They have indeed selected the wrong man. If they must have a cross-bearer, why did they not take one of those persons who had hounded Christ to trial and who were keen for his conviction? Simon, it seemed was indeed compelled to carry a cross that was not even his own. There is evidently and certainly compulsion in cross-bearing.
We all wonder sometimes or the other why the load should have been laid on us. What have we done to deserve such suffering and pain? It does not seem fair, does it? When our cross comes we sometimes rebel. We think something is wrong and ask why do the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous suffer? When Simon came face to face with this cross not chosen, he may have asked, “Why me?” “Why not someone else?” “Why was I standing in the wrong place at the wrong time?” Simon may have been compelled to carry that cross, but Simon himself had to decide how it would be carried. There is only one way to follow Christ and that is the way he chose—the way of the cross. Perhaps, we need to see our cross as an opportunity for spiritual growth and maturity, rather than problems of destruction. Now, do not get me wrong, this in no way minimizes or condones heinous crimes and violent acts meted out to humanity, especially toward women and children. We ought not to test God.
Suffice it to say, too many people today prefer the easy way, and the least cumbersome. Who doesn’t? Who wants to go out of their way or go the extra mile to help others? Who wants to bear the cross of others...we have our own crosses to bear? Why is there such a refusal to carry the cross of others? The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ”.
In this “new normal,” and with the practice of “social distancing,” we have had to sacrifice our own personal agendas for the good of all. This necessary sacrifice is a form of cross- bearing which we may feel we do not deserve. Christ did not deserve his cross, but he had to pay a price for the salvation of humanity. If Jesus had come down from the Cross, he could not have finished the work God had given him to do. How blessed we are, that Jesus did not come down from the cross. If Jesus had thought of himself, the will of God would not have been accomplished. The chief priests were right: if Jesus were going to save others, he could not save himself. Surely, by not saving himself, he could guarantee eternal life to the world. The accusations of the priests, then became the greatest paradox of all time. There was a depth of wisdom in their insult as seen in Mark 15:31, “He saved others and he cannot save himself.” By not saving himself, Jesus could save humanity.
Conclusion
Friends, cross-bearing is not easy. It is hard. The cross is heavy. And of course it becomes very burdensome at times. There is severity and a harshness about crosses. When Jesus called us, he called us to a way of sacrifice. From the minute we desired to follow Christ the cross is before us. We see pain, anguish, turmoil and persecution, sorrow, exploitation and oppression. Christianity we may say it not a cheap religion. It challenges the best there is in the soul. It calls for hearts that are courageous. It does not offer ease or the pleasures of a relaxed life but the cross challenges us to be faithful. The cross may come in the form of some interruption or disruption, but may very well be an opportunity for growth and positive transformation.
Hence, all is not despair. There is a blessing in the Cross. The cross brings hope to us as well and can be a “blessing in disguise.” The cross prevents us from throwing away the real values in life. Something as simple as a sprained ankle or sore throat can make us realize how great a blessing it is to walk and talk. The cross brings us back to God. It reminds us of how the simple things in life, which we may take for granted, are worth something.
As we come face-to-face with cross bearing in this 21st Century, especially this year 2020, we come face-to-face with the unexpectedness and compulsion of the cross as in the case of Simon of Cyrene. May we like Christ hang in there by faith so that the will of God may come to pass and the world will know that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, who died and rose again that may have life in all its fullness.
Introduction
Worn, haggard, loaded down with the cross on which he is to die, Jesus staggers out toward Calvary. He stumbles and falls from sheer weakness. They drag him to his feet, but he stumbles again and again... he falls. He cannot rise now, because his strength is gone. There Christ lies with the curious crowd looking on. It was a scene to make anyone weep. But throughout this disgraceful trial, and throughout his journey to Calvary, Jesus had borne himself with firmness, dignity and calm. (Silent prayer)
One of the faces during Jesus’ journey to the Calvary that has always captured my imagination is a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene. There is little we know about him, yet he is present in all of the Gospels. But what we do know is his name was Simon and that he was from the city of Cyrene in Northern Africa. The New Testament also identifies him as the father of Alexander and Rufus, two members of the early group of Christians who followed Jesus.
According to the Gospel of Mark, Simon comes into the picture of the passion at a critical time. After the soldiers had beaten Jesus and flogged him, they made Jesus carry his cross from Jerusalem to Golgotha. At one point the weight of the cross became too heavy for Jesus. So the Roman soldiers looked around and there was Simon, a passerby, probably a pilgrim on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. There is no record of any conversation between Simon and Jesus. With this story before us, we see the subject of Cross-bearing. For whoever walks with Christ is expected to carry a cross. Thus, it is safe to say that there is no Christianity without the Cross. Jesus made this clear when he told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34, NRSV)
Be that as it may, in this narrative of Simon of Cyrene, we discover what cross-bearing involves. In Simon’s case, certainly he did not expect his cross. There was an UNEXPECTEDNESS of the Cross. Literally, that is how it was for Simon. Simon had walked into his Calvary. There was no announcement. It took him by surprise. He was not a member of the mob, that jeered and mocked Christ, neither was he a spectator. He was minding his own business as it were. So there was every reason why he should be the last to be chosen. But all at once Simon finds himself singled out and loaded down with the Cross of Jesus Christ.
How symbolic it is for us today. Sometimes, our cross comes as a surprise. Suffering and pain do not wait to be announced. They enter without introduction. We never know what tomorrow holds. We are never sure when death, or sickness would come our way because our cross do not always proclaim itself. Isn’t this our present lot and “new reality” in the 21st Century... in this very moment as we face the Covid-19 pandemic? How our lives have changed so unexpectedly! This Good Friday ...this Easter will be like no other...this “new reality”will become our “lived reality!”
How many of us did not expect certain things to happen to us, and they did any way. There is something heroic about the crosses that people choose to bear: a young person who chooses to lead a life of service and commitment to those less fortunate; an attorney who leaves an established law practice to work with the homeless.
Simon of Cyrene, however, represents a great company of men and women who in every age are forced to bear a cross they did not choose. Every detail in Simon’s experience, I believe, has some parallel in our own. I think, for example, of those individuals who find themselves facing a debilitating illness, which they never would have chosen. Suddenly, they find themselves face to face with a situation that they would have never imagined. Or, I think of those parents who find themselves struggling with a child that is mentally challenged—uncertain of what to do, knowing that they face a lifetime of difficult decisions and inevitable heartache. The point is that many of us will one day face a choice that we would not have chosen for ourselves.
However, our cross differs from Christ’s. Jesus expected his cross. He knew that he was born to die and chose the way of Gethsemane and Calvary. Christ chose the way of the cross, for the salvation of humanity. The shadow of the cross was always on his path. He steadfastly set his face to Jerusalem. God spares us this anticipation and assures us that when the cross comes strength will be given.
Our text from Mark 15:21, reminds us that the soldiers compelled Simon to carry the cross of Jesus. This suggests that there is COMPULSION of the cross.
What has Simon ever done to deserve such an experience? He was attending to his own business. He was a peaceful, law abiding citizen. He had nothing to do with the trial. They have indeed selected the wrong man. If they must have a cross-bearer, why did they not take one of those persons who had hounded Christ to trial and who were keen for his conviction? Simon, it seemed was indeed compelled to carry a cross that was not even his own. There is evidently and certainly compulsion in cross-bearing.
We all wonder sometimes or the other why the load should have been laid on us. What have we done to deserve such suffering and pain? It does not seem fair, does it? When our cross comes we sometimes rebel. We think something is wrong and ask why do the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous suffer? When Simon came face to face with this cross not chosen, he may have asked, “Why me?” “Why not someone else?” “Why was I standing in the wrong place at the wrong time?” Simon may have been compelled to carry that cross, but Simon himself had to decide how it would be carried. There is only one way to follow Christ and that is the way he chose—the way of the cross. Perhaps, we need to see our cross as an opportunity for spiritual growth and maturity, rather than problems of destruction. Now, do not get me wrong, this in no way minimizes or condones heinous crimes and violent acts meted out to humanity, especially toward women and children. We ought not to test God.
Suffice it to say, too many people today prefer the easy way, and the least cumbersome. Who doesn’t? Who wants to go out of their way or go the extra mile to help others? Who wants to bear the cross of others...we have our own crosses to bear? Why is there such a refusal to carry the cross of others? The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ”.
In this “new normal,” and with the practice of “social distancing,” we have had to sacrifice our own personal agendas for the good of all. This necessary sacrifice is a form of cross- bearing which we may feel we do not deserve. Christ did not deserve his cross, but he had to pay a price for the salvation of humanity. If Jesus had come down from the Cross, he could not have finished the work God had given him to do. How blessed we are, that Jesus did not come down from the cross. If Jesus had thought of himself, the will of God would not have been accomplished. The chief priests were right: if Jesus were going to save others, he could not save himself. Surely, by not saving himself, he could guarantee eternal life to the world. The accusations of the priests, then became the greatest paradox of all time. There was a depth of wisdom in their insult as seen in Mark 15:31, “He saved others and he cannot save himself.” By not saving himself, Jesus could save humanity.
Conclusion
Friends, cross-bearing is not easy. It is hard. The cross is heavy. And of course it becomes very burdensome at times. There is severity and a harshness about crosses. When Jesus called us, he called us to a way of sacrifice. From the minute we desired to follow Christ the cross is before us. We see pain, anguish, turmoil and persecution, sorrow, exploitation and oppression. Christianity we may say it not a cheap religion. It challenges the best there is in the soul. It calls for hearts that are courageous. It does not offer ease or the pleasures of a relaxed life but the cross challenges us to be faithful. The cross may come in the form of some interruption or disruption, but may very well be an opportunity for growth and positive transformation.
Hence, all is not despair. There is a blessing in the Cross. The cross brings hope to us as well and can be a “blessing in disguise.” The cross prevents us from throwing away the real values in life. Something as simple as a sprained ankle or sore throat can make us realize how great a blessing it is to walk and talk. The cross brings us back to God. It reminds us of how the simple things in life, which we may take for granted, are worth something.
As we come face-to-face with cross bearing in this 21st Century, especially this year 2020, we come face-to-face with the unexpectedness and compulsion of the cross as in the case of Simon of Cyrene. May we like Christ hang in there by faith so that the will of God may come to pass and the world will know that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, who died and rose again that may have life in all its fullness.
—Right Rev. Joy Evelyn Abdul-Mohan
Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago