Easter 26’

The Illusion of the Ordinary

Start with the "Ordinary Morning."

On September 11, 2001, thousands of people brewed coffee, checked their watches, and headed to work. It was a clear, blue-sky Tuesday. It was supposed to be a "normal" day.

The Pivot:

We all have a "before and after" date. Maybe for you, it wasn't a global event; it was a phone call that rang while you were folding laundry, or a text message that popped up while you were stuck in traffic.

In a single second, your "to-do list" vanished, and your life was rerouted.

The Context:

Introduce Simon. He is "coming in from the country"

Mark 15:21 They led him to the cross. “They forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross. He was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.”

He is a traveler from Cyrene (North Africa). He has saved money and traveled weeks to be in Jerusalem for Passover.

He’s not there for a revolution; he’s there for a religious obligation. He has a plan for the day: worship, eat with family, and stay out of trouble.

Explain the Roman law (angaria). A Roman soldier could tap any civilian on the shoulder and force them to carry gear.

press into service, and so force, compel w. obj. τοῦτον ἠγγάρευσαν, ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρόν they pressed him into service, to carry the cross Mt 27:32; cp. Mk 15:21.

Simon is a bystander. He is observing the chaos from the sidewalk, perhaps with pity or confusion, until a hand grabs his collar.

From Observer to Participant

The Weight:

"The soldiers compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene... to carry his cross."

Simon didn’t choose the Cross; the Cross chose him.

One moment he was watching the "weight of the world" walk by in the form of a fellow beaten Jew; the next moment, he was literally feeling that weight on his own shoulders.

The Transformation:

Use the contrast of his sweat and blood mixing with Jesus’.

Simon’s "ordinary day" was ruined so that our "eternal day" could be won.

He was pulled out of the crowd to stand where we all eventually must: at the feet of Jesus, carrying the burden we cannot carry alone.

The Bridge

Simon reaches the top of the hill (Golgotha). He drops the wood. His task is over, but the atmosphere is changing.

Simon felt the heavy wood of the cross on his shoulders and thought his world was falling apart—but as he looked up, he realized it wasn't just his world that was changing. As the sky began to dim at high noon, he had to ask: What happens when the very earth can no longer bear the weight of what is happening on this hill?