Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24

I learned something new at church yesterday. I play the piano and organ for worship services at St. Francis Episcopal Church, here in San Antonio. In her sermon yesterday, Rev. Carrie Guerra, quoting someone else, asked "what is your cross to bear? Having problems with money? That's not your cross. Do you have trouble raising your kids? That's not your cross. Do you have difficulty in relationships? That's not your cross. Have you been struggling with illness? That's not your cross. These things are not your cross, they're your burdens."

"THE BURDENS OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE OUR CROSSES TO BEAR."

You said what? (Exactly, that was my reaction). I have heard people say, "My burdens are too much for me, my cross is too heavy." And occasionally I'm guilty of the same complain as well. A dad might say to his son, who was injured and cannot longer play soccer, "maybe you are meant to do something else. Perhaps this is your cross to bear." But is it?

Rev. Guerra continued saying that Jesus did not die for his own sins because he had none. He did not carry the cross for his own transgressions, but for ours. His cross was lifting the burden of sin from our shoulders. His cross was our redemption. But we are called to take up our cross and follow him. But that cross is not our self-interest, but the burdens and struggles of our neighbors.

My mind was taken back to the time when Jesus told his disciples "take up your cross, and follow me", no one was thinking of the cross as a symbol of a burden to carry. To a person at that time, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus' day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Therefore, "Take up your cross and follow Me" means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called "dying to self." It's a call to absolute surrender. It's a call to do God's work.

One of the most touching moments in the movie The Passion of the Christ is when Simon of Cyrene is forced into helping Jesus carry His cross. They locked their arms under and around the cross. We can also do that for each other every time we step in and help carry their cross. Each one of us knows someone hurting today. Each one of us knows someone struggling today. Jesus didn't ask for the help and Simon didn't volunteer, but he helped the Son of God and later understood the enormity of his action. Your friend, family member, coworker, neighbor, husband or child may not ask you for help but go ahead and step in. Today is the day to step in and lock arms with that someone.

1
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
and all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone,
and there's a cross for me.

2
The consecrated cross I'll bear
till He shall set me free;
and then go home my crown to wear,
for there's a crown for me.

3
Upon the crystal pavement, down
at Jesus' pierced feet,
with joy I'll cast my golden crown,
and His dear name repeat.

Words by Thomas Shepherd