What Simon of Cyrene teaches us about work you didn't choose
As the soldiers led [Jesus] away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26)
We’re in a series exploring the vocations of some of the characters of the Easter narratives and what they can teach us about our own work today. There are two lessons we can glean from Scripture’s brief mentions of Simon of Cyrene.
First, choose to serve Christ in work you didn’t choose.
Simon didn’t volunteer to carry the cross; he was “seized” and forced into it. You may not face military force, but you might feel forced into a role by economic pressure or parental expectations. And even in a dream job, there are aspects of your work you didn’t ask for: angry customers, being "voluntold" for projects, and so on.
What are we to do with work we didn’t choose? Paul answered that question for us, writing to bond servants in Colossae who certainly weren’t thrilled about their working conditions: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23-24).
God saw every step Simon of Cyrene took on Jesus’s behalf. And if he was a follower of Christ, Simon is experiencing rewards today that moths and rust can never destroy. The same will be true of you and me when we work with all our heart at work that is forced upon us.
Here’s the second lesson we can take from Simon of Cyrene: burdens are blessings in disguise.
Many scholars believe that Simon and his sons Alexander and Rufus became followers of Christ. If that’s true, Simon undoubtedly looked back on this moment of burden as a surprising blessing. We can too—not because burdens are pleasant, but because burden-bearing makes us look like Jesus who came not to be served but to serve (see Matthew 20:28).
Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” How will you do that today?
Did you receive an email this morning that has already thrown your day into a tailspin? View it as a divine appointment rather than an unwanted assignment. Is your colleague swamped? Ask them what you can do to help. Is your co-worker battling cancer? Tell them you’ll be bearing that burden in prayer at a specific time every week.
Bear those burdens with joy, knowing “the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” (Ephesians 6:8).
