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I remember holding my firstborn for the first time. It was an overwhelming feeling. I was afraid to lift him, afraid of doing something wrong. Shortly after he was born, the nurse placed him in my arms and left. My baby began to cry, and I was terrified. What could I do? As I held my little bundle, I began to learn how to comfort him. It had to be done.

Things changed quickly that day. Before having children, I didn’t understand what it meant to take charge and do what needed to be done. When diapers needed changing, baths needed giving, and crying needed soothing, I was there and did what I had to do. In the years that followed, I had three more children. Each time, the ability to do what needed to be done was there. It didn’t matter how late or how messy, I had to stay up. I just did it because it had to be done.

My youngest is now 18 and has outgrown the issues of those younger years. Yet, I am still amazed at what I was able to do for my children. I don’t think that I am brave or strong. It just happened because it had to be done.

It had to be done when Simon carried the cross

I wonder about Simon of Cyrene, who was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus. He was a family man and the father of two young sons (Mark 15:21). He was on a journey but got caught in the middle of the mess in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified.

When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

Luke 23:26 (NASB) 

Given the circumstances, Simon did what he had to do. In retrospect, I imagine that when he learned of Jesus’s resurrection, his feelings of being chosen to carry the cross were very different from when the cross was first placed on him. Like many of us when facing the unexpected, he may have thought it was unfair to bear that burden. After all, he was on a trip with his sons. He wasn’t planning on being part of the redemption story.

Relationships, jobs, volunteering, ministry, and nearly everything we do in life will be filled with unexpected, unfair, and seemingly impossible complications. Often, unlike Simon of Cyrene, who had no choice but to bear the cross when compelled, we opt to step back from the challenge because it wasn’t part of our original plan. How much have we deprived ourselves of? Could it be that we were chosen in that difficult situation to carry something for Jesus?

Joseph of Arimathea did what had to be done

After Jesus was crucified, His body needed to be buried. I doubt anyone planned for it, since His 12 disciples abandoned Him. A task that had to be done remained. It was the most unlikely candidate who chose to summon his courage: Joseph of Arimathea. The Bible states in John 19:38-39 that he was a disciple “in secret” for fear of the Jews. We often equate secrecy with weakness, but this was not true for Joseph. At that moment, someone was needed, and he rose to the occasion.

Imagine if Jesus’ body hadn’t been laid to rest in a tomb. During that time, when someone was crucified, if there was no one willing to bury the body, the deceased was often discarded on garbage heaps outside the city. Wild animals would quickly dispose of their remains. If this had happened to Jesus, there wouldn’t have been an empty tomb to witness His resurrection. However, Joseph of Arimathea did what had to be done. The amazing thing is that in scripture, this “secret disciple” is referred to as “righteous.”

...Joseph of Arimathea...a good and righteous man...who was waiting for the Kingdom of God.

Luke 28:50,51 (NASB) 

Waiting for the Kingdom

I wonder if having Joseph’s character is the key to gathering the courage to do what we must do at any given moment. Being someone waiting for the Kingdom of God. I imagine Joseph followed Christ’s ministry, and as a learned man, he knew the Scripture. With his heart set on waiting for the Kingdom, he understood, to some degree, that Jesus was special. He must have understood that Jesus was a part of the plan of the Kingdom he anxiously anticipated.

Whatever challenges you face today, you can overcome them. You have the strength to accomplish the task by focusing on God and prioritizing His Kingdom. You may not fully understand what is happening, but God is with you to help you complete the work. By the end of the day, you’ll be able to reflect without regret, knowing you did what needed to be done. You carried the cross.

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