“As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”—Matthew 27:32-37 (NIV)

Has someone ever pleaded with you by saying, “Put yourself in my shoes”? This popular expression recommends that before judging someone, you should first understand his or her experiences, struggles, and thought process; that you see things from their perspective. The full idiom says, “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.” Essentially, it’s a call for empathy.

John 19:17 tells us that, at least for part of the journey, Jesus carried His own cross. But somewhere along the way, Mark and Matthew’s accounts imply that Jesus could no longer carry His own weight, let alone the cross. So, the Romans forced a man named Simon, an innocent passerby, to help Him carry the cross. 

According to nineteenth century theologian Alexander MacLaren, “He would be reluctant to undertake the humiliating task . . .” Of course! No one would want to be seen carrying a Roman cross, to be associated with that. Am I now going to be lumped in with this criminal? What will everyone think? Talk about walking a mile in someone’s shoes.

But here’s the thing about walking with Jesus: It changes you! You’re never the same after you’ve walked with Him. In this completely unique and unheard of moment, man suffered with God! Simon suffered along with Jesus. He literally struggled with the weight of the cross Jesus would soon die upon. In the literal sense, no one else can say they did that. No one else can say they had the honor of carrying the wood for the offering of eternity alongside the Son of God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. How can you NOT be changed by that? How can you walk away from that and still be the same person you were before? That mile—or however long it was—would indeed ensure that Simon’s life would never be the same again. 

MacLaren continued, saying that Simon “would plod along behind Him for a while, sullen and discontented, but by degrees be touched by more of sympathy, and get closer and closer to the Sufferer. And if he stood by the cross when it was fixed, and saw all that transpired there, no wonder if, at last, after more or less protracted thought and search, he came to understand who He was that he had helped, and to yield himself to Him wholly.” 

How do we know this? By the way Simon is described by Mark. He’s called “the father of Alexander and Rufus.” Consider that nothing, not a single word or name, in the Bible is there superfluously or without significance. Richard Bauckham wrote, “The case is not parallel to that of Mary the mother of James the little and of Joseph (Mark 15:40), where the sons serve to distinguish this Mary from others, because Simon (very common though this name was) is already sufficiently distinguished by reference to his native place, Cyrene.” 

You see, this is significant because most scholars believe that the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13 is one of the sons of Simon. And by the mere mention in Mark of both of Simon’s sons, it would indicate that they were active and known members of the early church, likely telling their father’s story of the crucifixion of Jesus. Isn’t that amazing? It speaks volumes to me about how one person’s personal encounter with Jesus can so deeply impact and change the lives of the people around them. 

Pause: What does this passage tell you about Jesus and about yourself?

Practice: Thank the Lord today for walking in our shoes and bearing the weight of our sins.

Pray: Thank You, my Lord, my God, for walking the path that was meant for me. Thank You for the beautiful truth that when I walk with You, I am changed and others can be changed as a result of what You do in and through me! In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.