Scripture: Luke 23:26-27
As they led Jesus away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
Thought for the Day: Discipleship is a choice, not something that can be forced. With that said, the church has a bad history of forcing its message on people, even with the use of a sword. Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross (could be a metaphor for what some try to do), but Christian tradition suggests that he later became a missionary. Some connect Simon to the “men of Cyrene” who preached the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 11). At some point, Simon had to make the act of carrying the cross a personal choice – a YES to God’s gift of love in Jesus Christ – and not simply something demanded of him by those who yielded power over him. Where in your faith journey did the Gospel become personal, and you owned it for yourself?
Prayer: On this holy and dark day in the Christian year, there is much to challenge us, O Lord of Calvary. As I look to Jesus, and his great sacrifice of love, give me the courage to say YES and to take up the cross set before me. Amen.
TONIGHT
Good Friday Service
In the Forum
7pm
