“Carry My Cross” (Mark 15: 21-32)
“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.” – Mark 15:21
Scripture: Mark 15: 21-32
Question of the Day: Are you someone whose actions reflect your beliefs or do you follow the crowd?
Devotion: It had to have been frustrating for Jesus to have seen so many in the crowd who “hurled insults at him, shaking their heads” (Mark 15:29). These were the same people that he had been ministering to for 3 years. He lived among them, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, and turned water into wine. But now, in his darkest hour, the crowds had turned. Part of this is due to the fact that his disciples were hiding and afraid to speak out. But the majority of those at Golgotha were people who had heard his parables, seen his miracles and now hurled insults at him. Many of them wanted Jesus to perform another miracle and remove himself from the cross. They didn’t want to believe in someone who apparently could not save himself.
And then there was Simon of Cyrene and his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. Simon and his family had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Cyrene in North Africa. Simon was chosen out of the crowd to carry the cross of Jesus. He walked alongside Jesus all the way up to Golgotha. He witnessed, as an outsider to Jerusalem, the way that the people had turned on him. So whatever happened to Simon? In Romans 16:13, Paul references Simon’s son, Rufus, as a leader in the New Testament church. Apparently Simon’s walk with Christ had a big impact on his family.
Do your actions reflect your beliefs or do you just follow the crowd?
Have you ever had to make a decision that was unpopular with your friends? What was the outcome?
If you are forced to do something that is widely unpopular, do you allow the attitudes of others to reflect your attitude?
Song: Carry My Cross- Third Day
