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Rev. Robert L. Morgan November 26, 1915 – April 23, 2009. Robert Morgan was a graduate of Anderson University. He served as a pastor, evangelist and missionary from the time he was 20 years old. His preaching style was greatly impacted by A.W. Tozer and L.E. Maxwell. He had a gift of saying more in a few minutes than most men could say in an hour.
Mark 15:15:22 records how Pilate released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be crucified. It tells how the soldiers led Him away, clothed Him in purple, put a crown of thorns on His head, smote him on the head, spit upon him and bowed to him saying “Hail King of the Jews!” They then led him away to be crucified. On the way they compelled Simon a Cyrenian to bear the cross.
Simon was from northern Africa, probably Libya. It is not certain whether he had traveled to Jerusalem or was living in that area…Whatever the case, he was a Jewish proselyte and worshipped the Jewish God. He came to worship and got a cross placed on him. Did you ever have a cross placed on you when you came to worship? I don’t think this is strange to most of us. We are told Simon was compelled to bear the cross. It was not anything he wanted but he could not help himself. If a Roman soldier reached out and touched someone with their spear that person was compelled by law to help them out. It is interesting out of the entire crowd Simon was selected to bear Jesus’ cross. God was the one controlling it…just the same as when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. The councils of heaven were back of Peter…Peter was only the instrument.
I don’t know what Simon thought but he was compelled to go down a road he did not want to go. Have you ever had to do that concerning health, finances, circumstances, etc.? When God has a hand in our lives He will compel us to go down a road we don’t want to go. There is a reason for it…Simon did not want to go but this road led him to Calvary and the Cross. Even though you don’t want to go down the road God compels you to go, you will find what you want…. Simon had no choice…How many things come our way if we had our way we would flee from but God has something down that road for us?…Many times we wonder why we are in certain situations but God is leading us to something wonderful.
The cross is such an indefinite thing. It is something different to every individual. I wonder if the treasure the man had hid in the field could have been a cross (Matt. 13:44). It will cost us everything to walk this way but it is always a treasure to find the cross. Because Simon was compelled to go down this road he saw something about Jesus he would never have known otherwise. When Jesus compels us to go down this road, we will also see and learn things about Him we never knew before. It will be things we could not know any other way. The preacher can only point the way. It is up to each person to walk this road. This is the only way we can receive what Jesus has for us. Many times when we get into difficulties we think Jesus has forgotten us but His hand is in it all (Romans 8:28).
Simon saw Jesus’ reactions under fire and suffering and even the Roman soldier said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” Scholars feel that Simon became one of the leaders of the church. Going down this road got Simon to the very place where burdens are lifted. If you will continue to carry your cross it will get you to the place where Jesus will lift your burdens. How manytimes do our circumstances take us to Calvary where the burden is lifted? God has mysterious ways of working. The road we do not think is right is the one that gets us to where God wants us to be. If you will bring your cross to Jesus, you will find He has an answer for you. The cross you have picked up to carry is worth it to get you to Calvary. I Cor. 1:23-24 says, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”
The place you don’t want and would run from is where the power of God is and where the needs in your life can be met. Probably all of God’s children are under something they would like to get out of but this is the thing that is compelling them to the cross. Isn’t it wonderful we don’t have a choice? Whatever circumstances you are under, God has a hand in it. Don’t run, because He is leading you to what you want. The deep longings of our soul go beyond the things of this earth…but there isn’t anyone who would pick up a cross unless they were compelled to do it. Be encouraged because God is in the compelling…and here the longings of your heart will be met.
It is my prayer that you will keep going. God has control of all circumstances; He is Lord and Master of every situation we face and He will bring us through! Amen!