April 16, 2000
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church of San Francisco.
There are a lot of little people in the Bible. I’m talking about all those seemingly insignificant people who briefly step onto the stage of the drama of Jesus, briefly play their parts, and then are never heard from again.
I’m thinking about the widow who dropped her one small coin into the temple offering and was noticed by Jesus, the little boy who offered his few loaves and fishes so that Jesus could feed a multitude, the little children whom Jesus welcomed and blessed and in the process taught the disciples an important lesson, the centurion who, at the foot of the cross, acclaimed Jesus as Son of God.
I’m talking about the people who rate scarcely a couple of verses of Scripture, those little people, often unnamed, whose lives we know mostly by their reflection in the light of the life of Jesus.
I’m interested in these little people because that describes most of us. Most of us will not merit even a footnote when the story of our age is told; even when we thought about how important it was for us to be listed in “Who’s Who.” We are little people, living in out-of-the-way places, who go about our lives doing the best we can, but nothing heroic, large, or spectacular.
Today is Palm Sunday; the day that we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem when he was hailed as the Messiah. As little people, we are standing in the back of the crowds waving our palm leaves with the rest but not wanting to move anymore closer to the front. Perhaps we are there to see what’s all the commotion about and only to witness what might be going on.
And when Jesus passes by and we are unable to see his face because we are so far behind in the crowds, he in some small miraculous way still notices that we are there. For if Jesus doesn’t mean something for the little people, then he doesn’t mean much at all. So when we see a little person steps up and into the spotlight, we see ourselves in that person and we take heart. For most of us, we are those people who are just trying to follow Jesus in little, unspectacular ways.
Simon of Cyrene
That how it was with Simon of Cyrene. After Jesus was whipped and beaten by the soldiers, the Romans required that the criminal being crucified carry his own cross to the place of execution. Four soldiers marched along; one carrying a board stating the criminal’s crime. It read, “This man said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’”
Perhaps after being scourged, Jesus was hardly able to carry the weight of the cross. He may have fallen. And then one of the Roman soldiers looked about into the crowds who have gathered to see what was going on, and as was his right, he touched Simon of Cyrene on the shoulder with the flat edge of his sword and pressed Simon into service.
We know nothing about Simon of Cyrene except that he is the father of Alexander and Rufus. Since Cyrene is in North Africa, he might have been in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage or maybe he was an immigrant. He was a passerbyer who was compelled into service for Jesus. Not a word is spoken of him after this moment.
Yet he is remembered by name, even as the father of two sons.
Simon may have been chosen because of his size or built or youth—a likely candidate who was capable of carrying the horizontal beam to which Jesus would be nailed. We wonder what Simon thought as he strained to carry the heavy beam along the long road, suddenly a part of this unlikely series of events. If there were catcalls and shouting from the crowds, perhaps Simon wanted to yell out that he wasn’t the criminal, this wasn’t his crucifixion.
But almost certainly, Simon would have noticed and wondered about the beaten and bloodied Christ walking ahead of him. He must have wondered who is this Jesus who said he was the Messiah. We don’t know whether Simon stayed for the crucifixion, perhaps fascinated over the events that have happened with him playing a part. And it is highly unlikely that he received a handshake from the soldiers for a job well done.
Simon is remembered by us as the one who was pulled out of the crowd to help bear the cross of Jesus. Jesus taught us that we must take up the cross and follow him. Like Simon, we might not choose to carry the cross, but we are asked to carry it. Like Simon, a little man in the gospel, we who are little people too are asked to come forward to help bear the cross of Jesus.
We Are Little People
At FCBC, most of us are little people too. We are asked to come forward to help bear the cross of Jesus for today.
I can think about Serena Dong and Jarrett Jang who have stepped forward to direct this summer’s Youth Camp. Or Jeanine Duong who has stepped forward to direct Day Camp. They could have said that they had too much work to do or that there were too many details in planning for their weddings. But in carrying the cross of planning summer ministries they will make it possible for many children and youth to grow closer with God. Because they saw others lead these programs and they benefited from them themselves, they are now willing to bear witness in giving dedicated leadership this summer.
I am still moved by the love and caring the Senior Highs expressed recently by assembling care baskets for those who are sick in our church family. Taking the time to just think about those who are struggling is carrying the cross of Jesus today. In that simple act, you taught the whole church the important lesson of when we give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, then we are doing this for Christ.
I celebrate with God the basketball coaches: Nelson Wong, Steven Ng, John Tom, Franklin Hom, and Alan Fong who along with the support of all the players’ mothers and fathers will lead this summer’s sports ministry. It’s nice to win, but the main purpose is Christian fellowship and teamwork. I like how the guidelines require that the players attend church and how they pray before the games and how at the end of the game, there’s a fellowship time. This kind of leadership commitment is not easy. Many hours of practice and game times will be dedicated by these already very busy coaches. But they are doing this because they believe in the youth. They are carrying the cross of Jesus to model for all the youth what it means to follow Christ.
How can I not mention the Retrofit Task Force? Every week they take time off from their regular jobs or daily schedules to come and meet with the contractors and architects in order to keep an eye on the project. Not only their time, but Jackie Hui, Clarence Chan, Nelson Wong, Albert Lee, and Curtis Poon give of their professional expertise to represent all of us as the owners. They read plans, crunch numbers, make sound decisions. And there will be many others who will be lending their hands to help us finish this major construction project. They are carrying the cross of Jesus in making our church home safer and more efficient to worship and learn.
Last weekend I was in Yosemite with the church’s annual trip. There were about 95 people of all ages. And after a three-hour hike, you can get pretty hungry. The person who has for many years given hours and hours to gather all the food, equipment, and maybe as many as 12 or 13 burners and grills to feed that many people is Joe Chan. Unselfishly and willingly, Joe makes cooking outside for 95 people look easy. You see Joe is another example of how little people in our church are carrying the cross of Jesus today.
In every one of these incidents and opportunities, God calls us forward out of the crowd to take up the cross. I’m glad Simon was there, on that fateful day when Jesus moved toward Calvary. I’m glad that Mark kept Simon’s story in the story of Jesus. If he had not been there, I don’t know if I could be here.
Can You Be Like Simon?
Now most of you maybe saying to yourself, “I’m not Simon of Cyrene. I’m not even like some of the people you mentioned at FCBC who are carrying the cross of Jesus for today. I know what I must do, but I’m not sure how to do it.”
Jerome Brunner, the Harvard psychologist says that you more normally act your way into a manner of thinking than you think your way into a manner of acting. Let me illustrate this through an incident that happened to Brunner and two Chinese graduate students in 1934.
This white psychologist and two of his Chinese graduate students toured the United States staying over 60 motels and eating at well over a hundred restaurants. In 1934, they were rarely turned away from a motel and never refused service at restaurants.
However, when the psychologist wrote letters to the same restaurants and motels, asking them if they would serve Chinese (there was a great deal of prejudice against Chinese persons during this period) the establishments wrote back saying overwhelmingly that they would not serve Chinese customers.
Sometimes our actions are better than our stated beliefs. Rather than to worry about what we believe and what we think, perhaps we should act out of love and compassion. If Simon was asked to think whether he would carry the cross of Jesus, he probably would have said, “No.” Instead, he was ordered by the Roman soldier to do so and it eventually changed his life. If we’ll just take that first small step, out of the crowd, toward Jesus, there’s a good chance that we’ll be able to walk the whole way.
Passion Week
Of all the little people in the Bible, how have we come to know the name of this man, Simon of Cyrene, or who his sons were or where he was from? According to Paul, Simon’s son, Rufus was “chosen in the Lord.” The name, Alexander was inscribed in a first-century tomb east of the Jerusalem temple used by Cyrenian Jews. Simon went to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage he may have waited his whole life to make, and then he carried a cross and his life was changed and the lives of his family as well.
When Jesus was crucified on that rugged cross on Calvary, he bored all the sins of the world so that we may have everlasting life. It is God’s grace and loving mercy that this one time event of the crucifixion finally settled the question for all of humanity that God forgives us. And with the resurrection of Christ, we too are promised eternal life. Nothing changes this. This one event is all that matters. While God has done this for us as little people, God also expects us to follow in the ways of the Lord.
We too are asked to carry the cross of Jesus. We too are told that when we carry the cross, our lives will be transformed. Sometimes, like Simon, in the midst of following one dream, we find ourselves on a different path, one we didn’t choose, and in that place we find life’s calling. What is the cross that God calls us to carry, and where will that journey as a cross-carrier take us?
This week just like Simon of Cyrene, we are walking behind Jesus as he goes to the cross, stares evil in the face, confronts the principalities and powers, and gives his life over to the providence of God. On Thursday, he will teach his disciples how to remember him. On Friday it will be a well-fought battle that is huge, cosmic, and eternal.
And on the way, a few ordinary, everyday little people will get called out of the crowd to be disciples, to help Jesus carry the cross. I have confidence that when it becomes your turn to take up the cross and follow, you’ll be there.
“Must Jesus bear the cross alone?” the old hymn asks. No. From out of the crowd, a few ordinary little people are called to bear it before the world with him.
That’s you and me.
Let us pray.
O Lord, lead the way and invite us to carry the cross of Christ in today’s world. As we follow you in word and deeds, transform us with the courage to make this world a better place. In the name of Jesus Christ who first carried the cross of salvation so that we may have life today and forever, we pray. Amen.