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Continuing our analysis of the penultimate chapter of Luke’s Gospel, this week, please read verses 26-33. If possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 23:26 (The Message)
‘As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus.’
“Being in the right place at the right time”.
Recently, while in an airport returning from holiday, Cath and I were sat having coffee when I glanced up and spotted a familiar face. This man wasn’t a friend and looked considerably older than I would have imagined but there was no mistaking him. He was Roger Uttley, a retired Rugby Union international who had played for and captained England as well as being a British and Irish Lion. He was also assistant coach for England when they won the World Cup in 1991.
Even though I’m no fan of England, there was no doubting the quality of this man as both player, coach and manager. So, I decided to go and have a chat and hopefully grab a photograph or two for posterity. Well, he turned out to be a lovely man, far removed from the incredibly hard man that, as a young lad, I’d watched win so many lineout and backrow battles against Wales. We talked for a short while about those tough days and how the game is so much cleaner now while being so much harder due to the physical demands. He was a great player but was also a lovely man.
There were literally thousands of people in that airport that day. The chances of me seeing him were very, very remote. Cath and I were early for our flight and as we sat there having coffee, I ‘just happened’ to be in the right place at the right time to see and meet this man.
We have talked many times in past devotions about chance and coincidence. While I certainly don’t consider my meeting with Roger Uttley as being part of some divine plan, I do know for certain that our times are in God’s hands and as Romans 8:28 tells us ‘All things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose’. I’ve included the Message translation for this verse even though I completely disagree with it and don’t like it. I don’t believe for one moment that ‘Simon, happened to be coming in from the countryside’. Clearly, he was coming in to Jerusalem, but I don’t like the ‘happened to’ part. I believe that this was all in God’s plan because He wanted to do a good work in the life of Simon. There is some evidence from Paul’s writings to indicate that Simon went on to serve the Lord and also Paul himself. What started with a journey into Jerusalem, concluded in a life of service to the Lord and His Church.
Notice also, that Simon was forced to assist Jesus. The word in the original language means ‘to lay hold of’. It’s likely that the Roman soldiers grabbed Simon and forced him to help. Praise God that even though we are seemingly forced to do somethings, we can trust God that He will work in our lives for our good. Only one person was asked to carry the cross for Jesus, but every single one of us is asked to carry our own cross. Whatever that may be, my prayer is that we do it not with reluctance, but with a heart of love for our God knowing that He does all things well. We may not see a reason for the cross now, but God will work things out. As I’ve said so many times: Trust Him. He won’t let you down.
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