The Next Guy In Line

They tried Jesus. Then they led him away to be crucified. They led him away. They led him away.

Strange that it should say they led him away, when typically the prisoner headed the procession, guarded on each side by soldiers and followed by those seeking "justice" in the prisoners death. He led them to Calvary even as they led him to death. Here's this death procession with Jesus in the lead, but who is the next guy in line?

I don't mean the other two criminals that were led out to be crucified with him. I mean who walked immediately behind him; who followed in his footsteps; who kept pace with his tortured journey to the cross? Was it one of the disciples who had pledged their lives to him? Was it one of the women who had followed him, oftentimes funding the Rabbi's travels? Was it a family member? A brother? His mother? A colleague? A friend?

No. The next guy in line was a complete stranger who happened to be coming into the city from the country as Jesus was leaving the city for the cross. The next guy in line, who fell in step with Jesus, was the guy pulled from the crowd to carry the cross. His name was Simon. He was from Cyrene. He had two sons. He was the next guy in line.

As the next guy in line he had to witness first hand the inglorious treatment Jesus received. He had to stifle any sense of justice or compassion that might have welled up from within the image of God that remained in him. He had one job, one task, one purpose: carry the cross. He could not intervene, all he could do was keep step and carry. All he could do was follow as closely as possible so that Jesus could carry out what He had come to do. All he could do was hang on to the cross and walk the walk with Jesus.

We don't know what happened to Simon after he carried the cross for Jesus. We do know that men with the same names as his sons are mentioned in some of Paul's letters. We can speculate that the experience of being the next guy in line made an impact on Simon that he passed along to his sons. All we really know is that Simon carried the cross when no one else would.

What a legacy! What a testimony! What a privilege to be the next guy in line! Christian, where are you in the line that follows Jesus today? I know where I want to be . . . the next guy in line having only one purpose to follow Jesus and carry the cross.