Feeling the Weight

Today's Verse:

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. ~Mark 15:21

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Weightlifting is a very good exercise for building endurance and muscle mass and for toning. It is helpful for your cardiovascular system as well. Athletes who are serious weightlifters can transform their bodies into muscular sensations. In effect, it changes a person outwardly and makes him look like a different man. In our devotion, we see a man who carried a heavy weight that made him a different man.

We see a traveler. 

“Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country....” The only description we have of Simon is that he was a man of Cyrene who happened to pass through Jerusalem. He just happened to pass by the way where Jesus was to bear His cross to Calvary. He got caught up in the insanity. He walked right into the jeering mob and the Roman soldiers who have beaten Jesus and were trying to get Him to carry the heavy cross to Calvary. It was there that Simon saw a beaten and bloody Jesus. “Who is this man? What did he do to deserve these indignities and this humiliation?”

We see the travail. 

“And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.” Simon was forced to carry the cross for Jesus. As he bore that heavy cross, he had to carry it all the way to the site of the crucifixion. He knew what that cross meant. He knew it meant that a condemned man would be nailed to it to suffer unimaginable pain and a slow, agonizing death. Simon felt the weight of the cross. He felt the burden he was carrying. What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do? How heavy is the burden or weight you are carrying in comparison to the weight of the cross?

We see the tragedy. 

Simon arrived at the site where Jesus would be crucified. Deep within Simon’s heart, he knew something was different about Jesus. He may have taken a glance or two at the eyes of Jesus and saw the love and mercy of God. Simon stepped back and watched in horror as Jesus was brutally positioned on the cross, nails pounded into His hands and feet, and the cross hoisted into its place. Simon carried the cross, but it was not Simon who would be placed on that cross. It was Jesus Who took Simon’s place and the place of every sinner. There the wrath of God against sin was poured out on Jesus. Simon’s heart must have beaten hard and heavily as he watched Jesus bleed and suffer.

We see the transformation. 

That day was an unforgettable day in Simon’s life. He would never forget what he saw, heard, and carried. On that day, Simon’s life was transformed forever. Simon placed his faith in Jesus as his Savior. It could be that he was one of the men from Cyrene who went to Antioch and preached Jesus to them. His life made a difference in the lives of others because he could testify with tears in his eyes that he had borne the cross for Jesus. He also left a dynamic legacy. He was the father of Rufus and Alexander. Both of his sons were noted disciples of the Lord Jesus. They were greatly influenced by Simon’s testimony and zeal for the gospel. The weight of the cross changed Simon’s life. Has the power of the cross transformed you? Do you glory in the cross of Christ? Will you take up your cross and follow Him? Can you feel the weight?

Have a crucified God Morning! 

Reading Schedule: Ezekiel 31-33

#Mark #Cross #SimontheCyrene