His name was Simon - not that other Simon, Simon Peter, who we know so well from the pages of the New Testament - but Simon of Cyrene. He just flits across the stage of Scripture just this once. Perhaps he was better known in the early church, for Mark mentions that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. At any rate, Simon is one of those little people in the New Testament. We don't know why he came into Jerusalem that Friday morning or what happened to him afterwards. Had he heard of Jesus? Was he sympathetic to this suffering Savior as he watched Him stumble and trip under the load that He was shouldering? Or was he indifferent, just another face in the crowd pausing to watch as the Romans led away yet another prisoner to be crucified? Was he a curious bystander who stopped on his way into town to see what this ruckus was all about?

Simon is not, by any means, a prominent figure in the passion story, but he is significant for us. For you see, most of us are like Simon. We will never make it on cover of Time or on the front page of USA Today. We will, like Simon, live our lives without the world taking much notice. No one will write our biographies or do a documentary on our lives. We will not go down in history as great heroes of the faith. Nevertheless, God uses the little people of this world. Little people like Simon, like you and me.

Earlier in His ministry Jesus said to His disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). But where are the disciples this Friday morning? One had betrayed the Lord and committed suicide. Another, Peter, who had been so bold in confessing Christ and promising to suffer all, even death, had denied Him. They all forsook Jesus. Now they followed from a distance. They were not there to bear the cross.

But here is Simon. He shows up as just a face in the crowd. Who knows why a Roman soldier peers into that mass of humanity that was assembled along the route to Calvary and singles out Simon. "Hey you, come over here and give us a hand with this cross." And Simon steps forward to shoulder the weight of the cross. He becomes a cross bearer. That's about all we know.

But the Holy Spirit inspires Mark to include this little episode in his evangelical record for our learning. For you see, Simon is a model for our discipleship as cross bearers. There are no heroics here. Simon doesn't barge through the crowd and volunteer to take the heavy load from the back of Jesus. He is just an ordinary man who happened to me at the right place at the right time. He does what is given him to do. He bears the cross. And in doing so, he becomes something of a parable for us.

Like Simon, you are a face in the crowd. You live your life. You take classes. You go to your job. You take care of your family. You attend to the day to day things of life. You take care of your own business. Then in one stunning moment, God gives you the opportunity to confess your faith, to publicly identify yourself as one who belongs to Jesus, to stand up and be counted as a Christian. In short, He gives you a cross to bear. When that cross is laid on you, you embrace it and carry it in the patience that is born of faith in Jesus Christ who was crucified for your sins and raised again to give you eternal life. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.