THE FACE OF FAVOR BENEATH THE CROSS OF JESUS
Mark 15:21
"Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" Simon of Cyrene was. As you study the faces beneath the cross you will discover the face of this favored man. At first he was there unwillingly, but in time he would be grateful for the favor. He carried the cross of Jesus to the place of crucifiction.
This Simon was born into a dedicated Jewish home in the North African city of Cyrene. His parents exparessed their faith at his birth by giving him the name of Simon. Simeon was one of the famous sons of Jacob the patriarch.
As he grew into manhood Simon dreamed of going to the holy city of Jerusalem to observe a Passover. Such a pilgrimage was the aspiration of all the faithful Hebrew people scattered out across the world. Finally the dream of Simon of Cyrene was realized. His heart beat wildly with excitement as he entered the holy city for the first time. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he found the city greatly disturbed because of rumors. Everyone was talking about the Teacher from Galilee. There was a sharp division among the people over Him. Some felt certain that He was the long awaited Messiah, but others considered Him a false prophet. There were reports that the leaders of the people were plotting His death.
On the day of the great Passover, Simon came upon a strange spectacle as he entered the city. He saw a noisy crowd clustered around a band of soldiers. In the midst of the soldiers was an obviously weary man bearing a Roman cross. Most of the crowd was heckling the condemned man. The soldiers were prodding Him to hasten His step‑‑His steps were just too slow. To any observer it was obvious that the man was about to fall beneath the weight of the cross. When he saw what was happening, Simon decided not to get involved, and to just pass by.
Just then the soldiers decided that they had had enough of the slow pace of the tired criminal. They wanted to get their assignment over with. They looked around for someone to carry the cross, and their eyes fell on Simon. One of them grabbed Simon. "You!", he growled. ''You take this cross out to the hill." Because he was a Jewish man, Simon was powerless to refuse. The Roman soldier had the power to conscript any non‑Roman any time he pleased. Reluctantly and with a great sense of embarrassment, Simon shouldered the cross and followed the soldiers to Golgotha.
It might have been the outcry of the women that caused Simon to take a second look at the condemned man. Somewhere along the way he became aware that he was bearing the cross of Jesus of Nazareth.
It is easy for us to see that the soldiers bestowed a real favor on Simon unknowingly. Any of us who know Him would have been glad to carry the cross. Yet in a real sense the opportunity to bear His cross is always with us. The cross symbolized all of the shame and reproach attending the life and death of our Lord. The cross was what it cost our Lord to do the will of His Father. If we choose to walk in His ways, we, too, will bear the cross. This event changed the life of Simon forever. What a favored man!
1. The FAVOR OF CROSS‑BEARING MAY BE HIDDEN
Doubtlessly Simon saw nothing good in the ordeal at first. At best he viewed it as a nuisance and inconvenience. Bearing the cross took time away from other activities he had planned for this special day. He had not planned on such an interruption.
Probably his resentment went even deeper. He must have felt a deep surge of resentment which he had to endure silently. Being treated like a common slave on what was to be the greatest day of his life was just too much. Would some of the people think that he was a disciple of Jesus, or might someone think that it was his cross? What if he met one of his friends on the wav? Cross‑bearing never seems to be a favor at first.
What was your first reaction to cross‑bearing? Were you surprised that others would trust you in such a manner simply because you were a Christian? How could anyone question your motives and accuse you so wrongly? Jesus knew that this would be a problem for His disciples so he gave thorough and frequent instructions on the matter. He instructed His disciples to rejoice whenever they bore the shame of the cross.
The favor is the reason for the joy. The favor may be hidden to the natural eye, but it is seen by those who walk in the Spirit. The apostle Paul describes such suffering as a "gift.'' It is a favor from the Lord to be able to suffer shame with Him.
11. THE FAVOR OF CROSS‑BEARING SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED
So much is implied in the New Testament about this man Simon of Cyrene. We must allow our sanctified" imagination to fill in the details.
We are not told when Simon actually became a disciple of Jesus. The fact that his name is given here can be taken as proof that the story of his conversion to Jesus Christ must have circulated widely among the early Christians.
It probably happened on the day of Pentecost. Luke reports that men from Cyrene were among the three thousand converts that day. Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter supports this view. The manner in which Jesus died must have impressed Simon. Jesus had a remarkable look of peace on His face throughout the ordeal. There was absolutely no evidence of fear. The only time He
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said anything, it was either to pray to God or to help someone. He never appealed to the soldiers for mercy nor accused them of injustice. Then the report of His resurrection had been circulating throughout the city. Simon had been thinking about the Man and His death for fifty days. As he heard Simon Peter, a disciple who had faltered during the ordeal because of fear, declaring boldly that this same Jesus is both Lord and Christ, it was too much. There was just a compulsion in the heart of Simon that made him believe. He stepped out from the crowd and willingly accepted baptism in water at the hand of one of the Apostles. This was a public acknowledgment that bearing the cross was a favor. He was ready and willing to bear any shame for this Jesus.
Simon of Cyrene translated this public commitment into active service. It is probable that he is the Simon who became a leader in the great missionary movement at Antioch. He continued his identification with Jesus in aggressively seeking to make disciples for Him.
Are you holding back from this public identification with Jesus Christ? Have you been afraid of the consequences? Do you consider the potential cost too high? Simon had no choice the first time he was identified with Him, but what he learned about Jesus made him a willing cross‑bearer! He learned that it is truly a privilege to bear His cross. You, too, should make a public acknowledgment.
III. THE FAVOR OF CROSS‑BEARING CAN BE SHARED
Simon of Cyrene led his two sons to be cross bearing Christians. He shared the privilege with them. We are not given the details, but we are given the names of Alexander and Rufus. The inclusion of their names indicates that they had become well‑known among the early Christians
The Gospel of Mark was written to be used as a gospel tract in the city of Rome. When Paul wrote a letter to the Roman church, he sent greetings to Rufus and his beloved mother (Romans 16:13). Could his relationship to Rufus and his mother date back to Paul's ministry with the church in Antioch? There is a tradition that Rufus became an effective church leader and that his brother Alexander suffered martyrdom for the cause of Christ. And it all began with Simon bearing the cross.
At first it seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen to him, but it became life's greatest blessing. It changed his life‑‑and the life of his family. It was truly a favor.
If you bear the cross of Christ, you will influence others. Would it not be wonderful to influence your own sons and daughters to bear their cross after Christ?
Conclusion:
We sing "Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there is a cross for everyone, and there is a cross for me." Dr. Broadus says that the original version of the hymn read, "Must Simon bear the cross alone, and other saints go free? Each saint of thine shall find his own, and there is one for me." Surely the hymn writer says things as they are. There is a place of favor beneath the cross for me.
You find this place of favor willing. The cross will not be forced on you. You must make a commitment of life to Jesus Christ publicly and continuously. You must be willing to bear any shame or suffer any loss in His service. Will you join Simon of Cyrene beneath the cross