Mark 15:21-26

Passage

Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus.  He is noted as the father of Alexander and Rufus.  The Romans brought Jesus and His cross to Golgotha – which means The Place of the Skull.  They offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh, but Jesus would not drink it.  They crucified Jesus and divided His clothes among them by casting lots.  It was the third hour when they crucified Jesus.  They hung a sign above His head that read, “The King of the Jews.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Cyrene was in Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea almost due south of Greece.  I’m not going to say that Simon had to scrimp and save to attend the Passover and this was his only time to come to Jerusalem, but most visitors of Jerusalem at the time of Passover were in that boat.  A Jew would often save for a long time to come even once to Passover held in the temple.  Imagine Simon’s horror as he felt the tap of the Roman spear on his shoulder indicating that he was to carry the cross for Jesus.  A man had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.  Now he would come in contact with blood and become ritually unclean.  His dream pilgrimage to worship God was shattered with the single tap of a Roman spear.

How often does God break into our life unexpectedly?  How often do we consider the unexpected things as curses and bothers upon our life?  How often are we guilty of taking what God is trying to do in our life and looking upon them as unfortunate chores?

Second Thought:

We are told that Alexander and Rufus are Simon’s sons.  Clearly, Alexander and Rufus eventually became known to Mark.  Simon’s sons were likely a part of the congregation to whom Mark is writing – or at least known to them.  It is almost a certainty that Alexander and Rufus were themselves part of the early church.  What began for Simon as a horrible chore potentially ruining his Passover pilgrimage eventually turned into an act that most certainly brought salvation into his whole family.  It’s amazing what God can use in our life if we let Him!

What has God redeemed in your life?  What has God used for your betterment that you originally thought was going to be a horrible experience?

Aside: many people believe that Mark’s Gospel was written for the church that developed in Rome.  If this is the case, then it is possible (although not certain) that this same Rufus of which Mark speaks is the Rufus that Paul addresses in Romans 16:13.  If that is the case, Paul knew the wife of Simon of Cyrene and even considered her as her own mother!  Isn’t that a neat possibility!

Third Thought:

Those at the crucifixion site offered Jesus wine that was drugged.  The myrrh would ease the pain.  Jesus would have none of it.  We must be careful here.  It is easy to read these words and adopt a martyr complex.  It is easy to hear these words and adopt an attitude that we must always do things the hard way.  I don’t believe that is the point.  I believe the point here is that Jesus would fulfill living the human experience.  He had the joy of making disciples.  He had the joy of seeing people healed and relieved of their pain.  Now He would experience the downside of humanity.  He would experience physical pain and death.  I believe Jesus rejects the myrrh wine so we can see in Him a savior who has born all of our experiences and knows how it feels.

How great is Jesus?  What does it mean to you that He does this all for our sake but because the Father asks?  What does it mean to you that He knows the whole spectrum of human experience?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 15:27-32