Read: Luke 23:26-33
They seized one Simon of Cyrene . . . and laid on him the cross. (v. 26)
There is a street in Jerusalem known as the Via Dolorosa, the “Way of Sorrows.” It is the route Christ is believed to have followed when he carried his cross—actually the patibulum, or crossbeam—to the place of execution. Weakened by beatings, Jesus wasn’t strong enough to make it all the way to Golgotha. So the soldiers grabbed a man to help him—one Simon, from Cyrene in North Africa. The fact that Simon’s name is noted in the Gospels, and that Mark even mentions the names of his two sons (Mark 15:21), indicates that he and his family were known in the early church. Simon, who literally took up the cross and followed Jesus, came to know him in a deeper way and carried the cross figuratively as well.
We all need to emulate Simon. Jesus said that those who would be his disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow him (Luke 9:23). Carrying your cross does not mean putting up with an unpleasant circumstance or annoying people. In Jesus’s day, carrying a cross meant a one-way trip to death. It’s his way of calling us to die to self and live for him.
It doesn’t cost a lot to become a follower of Jesus; it costs everything. But if we are willing to join Jesus on the way of the cross, we discover another gospel paradox. The way of sorrows becomes the way of joy, the road to heaven.
As you pray, commit to Jesus that you will take up your cross and follow him.
About the Author
Rev. David Bast
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, includingWhy Doesn't God Act More Like God,Christ in the Psalms, andA Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
