Mark 15:21-30 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”
Simon from Cyrene, probably a faithful Jew visiting Jerusalem, was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus' cross. They undoubtedly threatened to harm him if he did not carry out their order of carrying the cross. On that day, we see Simon as an unwilling participant in Jesus' crucifixion, carrying the cross to Golgotha, The Place of the Skull. Although perhaps reluctant, Simon's participation that day helped to bring about the death of Jesus Christ. However, later, rather than participating in death, Simon and his family will be participants in bringing life to many. In Romans 16:13 Paul mentions Simon's wife and son, Rufus, as integral part of his ministry. As the head of the family, we can infer that Simon too was heavily involved with the ministry. We can also infer that there was a diametrical change in Simon and his family after they became Christians. No longer forced to serve Jesus out of fear as when Simon carried Jesus' cross, now, as Christians, they willingly placed Christ first in their lives out of their love for him. By supporting Paul and his ministry, they were putting their own lives in danger, for Christians everywhere were facing persecution for their commitment to serving the cause of Christ. As Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:12-13) Paul greatly depended upon his supporters such as this family: he considered Rufus as chosen in the Lord, and he considered Simon's wife, Rufus' mother, as dear to him as his own mother.
Simon came into contact with Jesus on that day of the crucifixion when he was forced to carry the cross. We don't know when He became a believer, for at that time he probably was a good Jew making his pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. But for whatever reason He was there, and he assisted a man so weak that He could not carry his own cross all the way to the place of crucifixion, Golgotha. He saw Jesus in his weakest state after the people had spit on him and struck him with their fists, the guards had beaten him, and Pilate had him flogged. Yet, at some time, Simon and his family dedicated their lives to this man Jesus. In those days, the father's religion was the family's religion. If any member of the family departed from that tradition, he or she was expelled from the family, so we are quite sure that Simon became a convert to Christianity. What did he see in this Jewish man Jesus? Surely his mind must have been filled with questions on the day of the crucifixion as he carried that cross. He might have believed the story that Jesus was an insurrectionist and agreed with those who called out for the death of Jesus. But, somehow, He came to the realization that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited One who came to save the Jewish people. We can trust that God was working in Simon's heart from the moment he shouldered the burden of the cross, from the moment he saw Jesus. The man Simon saw that day, so weak that He could not carry his own cross, became Simon's Lord and his family's Lord. Salvation: a life changed forever. A great mystery! Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
This story of resurrection and transformation has been told in millions of lives with unbelievers, even agnostics and atheists, turning into faithful followers of Christ, even to the point of putting their own lives in danger. How many martyrs for Jesus were once haters of Christ? How many strong believers such as Paul believed they were not worthy to be called by Christ's name because they persecuted the church of God? (1 Corinthians 15:9) Only God knows. But we do know this miracle of transformation has happened over and over throughout history. People have come to believe in this Jewish man who could not save himself or even carry his own cross, and they have accepted him as the Son of God and their Savior. They ridiculed the Lamb of God as He offered himself as a sin offering: “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” Yet Jesus kept his eyes fixed on the Father, for He came to do his will. Once when they wanted Jesus to eat, He said, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34) The sacrifice of Christ and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit changed the world: it changed Simon and his family. How does this faith in Jesus happen? Just as Rufus was chosen in the Lord, we who follow Christ are chosen to be in the Lord. Our choice must be a faith choice if we are to abide IN HIM. The Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost to tell the Jewish people the Spirit of God does not live in temples or holy places, but in people, collectively and individually. The Spirit fell on the Gentiles during Cornelius' time, revealing the Holy Spirit was now in them and not their holy places. When the Spirit comes to us in reality, we change from creatures of the flesh who need to go to holy places to find God, to people of the Spirit who have God in them. This is called being born again, made new because Christ is in us through his eternal Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:1 & 14-15) Simon became this new creature, this temple of God, when He found Jesus by faith. This weak man for whom he carried the cross became his Lord.
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