So, what is it about human nature that makes it so hard to forgive one another? I was reading the account of the crucifixion this morning in Mark 15, and something struck me afresh. Jesus was on His way to the cross, carrying His own cross (actually, just the crossbeam portion I'm guessing). Of course, this is only after being put on false trial, mocked, brutally beaten, etc... you get the idea.
But the thing that caught my eye this morning wasn't the story of Jesus carrying His own cross... it was the fact that "they" (whoever they are) grabbed a passer-by named Simon of Cyrene and made him carry the heavy, splintery, now-bloody crossbeam... apparently because Jesus could not physically carry it any longer Himself. I wonder if Simon of Cyrene ever forgave the Jews, the Romans, and perhaps even Jesus for invading his privacy and making him carry that stupid cross. He was just passing by from the country - he had no beef with the Roman government. Why'd "they" pick him to carry that disgusting thing... UPHILL? And Jesus... if He hadn't gone and stirred up trouble, taking on the religious leaders, and making statements like, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19)... Simon would not have been put in this God-forsaken position in the first place! But alas, as the Bible so often does, it only mentions Simon in passing - it never lets us in on his emotional state after being forced to do such a humiliating task.
Why do I ask if Simon ever forgave everyone? Because even though he had to carry the cross, I wonder if Simon really understood what was really happening in Jerusalem that fateful day. I wonder if he stuck around and heard Jesus cry "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" shortly before breathing His last? I wonder if Simon ever realized that Jesus died for him... and his family... and his relatives... and the whole world? Because, unless Simon understood the significance of the cross in which he was enlisted to carry - that is, the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus - he probably went away embarrassed and angry, rather than grateful and repentant.
I'm convinced that it is only in the light of the cross that we have the proper perspective on our own pain and suffering at the hands of evil-intended people. If we judge our actions based on our own, extremely self-serving sense of justice rather than God's supremely self-giving act of love... then it is next to impossible to forgive those who conspire to hurt us. If we truly want to be free when we're trapped in a prison of unforgiveness... then all we have to do - all Simon had to do - is look to the enormity of God's willingness to become one of us and lay down His life for our sake. Anything and everything we'll ever face in this life pales in comparison. Paraphrasing C.S. Lewis, he said that in order for us to roughly understand the significance of the Incarnation (The Son of God coming into the world and being born of a woman)... is to think of ourselves letting go of our humanity in order to become a slug! Amen... and, I might add, becoming a slug with the full knowledge that evil people would eagerly be there to pour salt on our slimy little body.
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