“As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they compelled to carry His cross. (Matthew 9:32 NASB)
An onlooker, watching as Jesus carried the crossbeam of the cross on which He would be crucified down the path called the Via Dolorosa, a man of Cyrene, he was pressed into service to help Jesus. Our Savior was physically weak as a result of being the victim of the various torturous atrocities he suffered on His way to victory. Oh, Jesus did in fact suffer for us my friend, suffered bled and died. Yet don’t let His suffering mislead you into believing He was not the Son of God. Remember, He took on flesh and dwelt among us! Remember, Jesus was being obedient to the Father and would continue to do so until He atoned for our sins on Golgotha, the place of crucifixion.
Nevertheless, this brother from North Africa, the location of Cyrene, was compelled to bear Jesus’ cross. One journalistic type of book, “The Day Christ Died,” said that this cross beam weighed ninety pounds, a weight that would seem to be multiplied, magnified many times by the Master in His physical condition. Literally, Jesus did not have to bear His cross alone as He was taken to the Place of the Skull, a place we call, “On a hill far away.”
Now as it relates to cross bearing, the story does not end in the Gospels. In answering the question in actuality, as it applies to our lives, “Must Jesus bear the cross alone,” we must acknowledge that cross bearing is something we must do as disciples of Jesus. That involves denial of self, being a devoted follower of Christ, the distinct sacrifice of time, talent, and treasures to serve the Savior, and a determination to live obediently in alignment with His defined principles and demonstrated precepts.
The Cyrene in the opening verse was compelled to bear Jesus’ cross. As we are truly His disciples, based on Jesus’ words conveyed in the closing verse, we should not have to be forced, but rather we should freely carry our crosses daily, especially when you stop and realize how the Lord showed His compassion for us, dying on an old rugged cross, in spite of the fact that we were yet sinners. Meditate on this verse and in your mind, measure to what degree you are progressing or meeting Jesus’ daily requirements for His disciples and make some goal to keep getting better at bearing your cross. Love you! Be blessed!
“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” (Luke 9:23 The Amplified Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King