I have often imagined Simon as the Roman soldiers grab him, shoving him toward Jesus who is struggling beneath the weight of the cross. The moment that they lay their hands upon him, I can almost see the fear in his eyes, the terror! He was just a passerby coming in from the country. Had he ever even heard of Jesus? Did he know anything that Jesus taught? Did he have any idea who this man was or what he had done? Did he, perhaps, even worry that Jesus was an atrocious criminal? The cross was heavy as he took it from the shoulders of the laboring man--did he fear his own inability to carry that cross? Would the Romans strike him if he failed?
But at the same time, didn't he feel deeply for the man that he had been called to help? No matter what that man had done, wasn't the cruelty of the sentence beyond any measure?
So, Simon feared for his own safety at first, but he had to give up
that fear because he had no choice. Simon, I believe, took up the cross
that day and forever after felt the weight of it on his shoulders as he
learned more about the man, Jesus, that he had helped. I have no doubt
that it changed the whole course of Simon's life. And, for some reason,
I do not believe that he ever feared again. I believe that he gave up
himself, that day, for the kingdom of God and he never looked back.
That even though he knew that sharing that cross could cost him his
life at any time in the future, it was a cross he never wanted to put
down ... never. The worst moment of his life was probably the moment
that he did relinquish the physical cross at the place called The
Skull. I can almost feel his tears as he witnesses the rough treatment
of this scourged, weakened man, as the Romans force him down and
stretch out his arms on the cross.
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