Kingdom Revelator Australia – Issue 95
We see Simon of Cyrene picking up the cross and following behind Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. We definitely know that he didn’t willingly come forward to help carry Jesus’ cross but was forced to do so by the Roman soldiers. “As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this
man to carry his cross” (Matthew 27:32). He was one of the many people who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time and witness the dramatic events that unfolded before them that fateful day. He didn’t choose it but out of compulsion he had to do it. But what a transformation this event led to, in his life. He
and his family became followers of Christ due to that one unexpected encounter.
In our lives too, how many times do we encounter an unexpected cross? And how often does it transform our lives? How many times do we accept it willingly and use it to encounter the Lord? It’s time to ask ourselves, do we receive it gladly and allow God to transform us into the person He wants us to be through it? Do we use it to grow spiritually and become a true disciple of Jesus Christ?
Whatever the cross, see it as an opportunity to encounter Christ. God has a greater plan mapped out for us through these encounters. Trust the Lord to bring something good out of all the crosses that we encounter in our lives. Every cross has a lesson to teach us. Let us meet Jesus in those unexpected crosses. May
the grace of our risen Lord fill you with joy and hope for the future.