Carry the Cross Like Simon of Cyrene

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Romans 8

5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Jeremiah 27

Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Let Us Become People Who Participate In the Glory of the Lord

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
June 16, 1957

Jesus hoped to hear of someone who could bear the cross in his place, take the beatings on his behalf, and on the road of death of Golgotha suffer hardships and desperately call out in his place, “God! Father!” Although for thirty years he hoped to hear this kind of voice, when his hopes were dashed, how would he have felt?

You have to understand this heart of Jesus. You have to experience this pain of Jesus and be able to sympathize with his pain. Moreover, you must have the mind-set that it is perfectly natural for you to go this path of death on which you will die many thousands of times for the sake of the humanity of the world.

What you have to realize is that when Jesus became fatigued while carrying the cross to Golgotha, there was none among his disciples who, like Simon of Cyrene, shouldered the cross in his place. There was not even one person like this among the chosen people of Israel. Because this foreigner, Simon of Cyrene, participated in the tribulation of Jesus, Christianity could not become the religion of the Israelites. It became a religion of foreigners.

Today, you who have determined to believe in Jesus and go in search of God must be determined to carry out the same actions as Simon of Cyrene, even in your dreams. Although Simon of Cyrene could have made an excuse or rebelled, he silently obeyed and bore the cross in Jesus’ place. You have to become this kind of person today.

How must Jesus have felt when he was looking at him? When the apostles with whom he had shared all his joys and sorrows had all disappeared, a foreigner named Simon of Cyrene suffered misery on his behalf. Looking at the situation, Jesus must have felt deeply embarrassed and sorrowful.

If among the twelve apostles there was just one person who had shouldered the cross in his place, then by looking at him, Jesus could have forgotten the hardships of death. He would have overcome his own agony by feeling sympathy for him. Nevertheless, because this did not take place, Jesus felt greater sorrow. You must understand this situation.

In the Christian world of today, there must emerge a denomination in the position of Simon of Cyrene. Yet, which denomination will take on that responsibility? Christians today must realize that Jesus could not become Messiah of the apostles who had followed. He became Messiah of a foreigner, Simon of Cyrene. They must build a church in the position of Simon of Cyrene.

In order for you to become a companion in the situation and painful heart of Jesus, who suffered the tribulations of the cross, and to fulfill the eternal will and dispensational purpose as in the life of Jesus, you must become sons and daughter who can call out “Father” to God, even if you are alone. You have to be there with the Lord of ordeals and the Lord of resurrection who is embarking upon a new beginning.

Jesus, who resurrected three days after he passed away on the cross, was a miserable person. Although for three years he had shared all joys and sorrows with them and, with an earnest heart, had told them he would resurrect three days after his death, his disciples forgot these words and disappeared. When Jesus was resurrected, there was not even one disciple who stood guard next to his tomb. Only enemies, the Roman soldiers, were guarding the place. How could this be! Today there are many instances wherein Christianity is not guarding the tomb of Jesus. Enemies, like the Roman soldiers, are guarding it.

Is there no group on earth who can encircle the Roman soldiers and long for the tomb of Jesus? Even though there were no such people then, among us, the believers, there must emerge many such people.

Who are the ones who could meet the resurrected Jesus? Those who let Jesus die, those who lost Jesus and scattered everywhere to wander according to their will could not meet Jesus.

After his death, who was the person who went in search for Jesus without eating for three days? Who was groping in darkness not knowing where to rest his body? The disciples of Jesus should have become this kind of people more than anyone else. However, the three disciples that Jesus loved the most, Peter, James and John, all returned home. The ones who met Jesus first were the women who searched for Jesus’ tomb before dawn. They were Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother of James; and Salome.

They were longing for Jesus, who had passed away as a traitor of the people and the nation. Shedding tears for three days and unable to bear it any longer, they came searching for him. They were the first ones to meet the resurrected Jesus. This shows in what direction and how the believers of the last days must act.

 

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