Daily Wisdom

Carrying the Cross! – Mark 15:21

Key Passage

There was a man from Cyrene walking into the city. The man was Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was walking into the city from the fields. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.

— Mark 15:21 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought

Jesus told his followers, including those of us who follow him today, that we needed to pick up our crosses and follow him. While Simon was forced to physically carry Jesus' cross to Golgotha, he also apparently picked up the Cross spiritually because his sons, Alexander and Rufus, are known in the Christian community Mark is addressing. Paul also seems to know one of the sons, Rufus, and Paul describes him as one "whom the Lord picked out to be his very own." (Rom. 16:13 NLT) This is a great reminder that if we want to share our faith with our children, "carrying the cross" is the powerful example that helps them follow in our footsteps as we follow in Jesus' steps!

Prayer

O Father God, please help me live as a powerful example before those in my family. May they clearly see that I don't just "talk the talk," but that I also "walk the walk." Give me courage as I genuinely commit to carry the cross each day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. Then Jesus said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the older Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and teachers of the law. The Son of Man will be killed. But after three days he will be raised from death." Jesus continued to say to all of them, "If any person wants to follow me, he must say 'No' to the things he wants. That person must accept the cross (suffering) that is given to him every day, and he must follow me.
Luke 9:21-23

"These are the commands, the laws, and the rules that the Lord your God told me to teach you. Obey these laws in the land that you are entering to live in. You and your descendants must respect the Lord your God as long as you live. You must obey all his laws and commands that I give you. If you do this, then you will have a long life in that new land. People of Israel, listen carefully and obey these laws. Then everything will be fine with you. You will have many children, and you will get the land filled with many good things —just like the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised. "Listen, people of Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Always remember these commands that I give you today. Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. {Write these commands and} tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember {my teachings}. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Say hello to Rufus. He is a special person in the Lord. Say hello to his mother. She has been a mother to me also.
Romans 16:13

Devotional provided by Heartlight®
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