Popcorn Christianity! (Mark 15)

Popcorn Christianity! (Mark 15)

Mark 15.21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. [nkjv]

Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of the Christ' gave many people a new understanding of Jesus' journey to the cross and the horror of his crucifixion. Like many Christians around the world, I went with my Church to go and see the movie. In some ways I wish I hadn't. I would much rather have sat in the privacy of my home so I couldn't be distracted by the people around me. Along with many others in the cinema that day, I was moved to tears. All I could think while I watched Jesus being beaten, whipped and crucified was, 'He did this for me!" But there were some in the cinema who talked through the movie, some giggled while others sat there in their comfortable seats stuffing their faces with popcorn, chips and choc tops, while the Son of God was crucified in front of them!

Jesus' death to these 'Christians' was nothing more than a night's entertainment!

Afterwards as people were coming out of the cinema, some wanted to chat, all I wanted to do was jump in the car and go home as quickly as I could. I wanted to be alone. Scenes from the movie played over and over again in my head. I just wanted to fall in a heap on the floor somewhere and sob, and repent of living a selfish life. There was also part of me which wanted to phone every one of those 'so called Christians' and give them a piece of my mind. How can you watch something like that and be indifferent!

But I guess there were thousands of people just like these who actually witnessed Jesus going to the cross that day and walked away unchanged. Some hurled insults. Some jeered. Some even took great joy in seeing Him suffer. Would I have been any different if I were there that day?

There were some who were impacted. There were those closest to Jesus, His mother and friends who watched from afar. There was the Roman centurion who came to the realisation that this truly was the Son of God. There was the criminal on the cross who that day entered with Jesus into eternity. And there was Simon, the man compelled to carry the cross of Christ.

Simon was from North Africa. Maybe he was chosen because he was black, maybe because he was a foreigner, maybe because he stood out in the crowd. Regardless of why, he had the honour of being the very first person to carry the cross of Christ. But he had to be forced to do it.

To carry the cross of Christ is never easy. It is never comfortable and it is never convenient. But Jesus tells us that if we want to follow Him, it is something we need to do daily. To carry the cross causes us to focus our attention on Christ. It means laying down our will, our desires, our dreams. It forces us to stop thinking about ourselves. It causes us to stand out in the crowd and identifies us with Jesus.

Just like Simon, we are 'compelled' to do it but we are often blessed by the things we are compelled to do. We are changed! Scripture says that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander. We learn in Romans that Rufus was someone known to the early Church and was a devoted follower of Christ. We can surmise that something happened to Simon that day. He may have been a stranger to the city. He may not have known this 'Jesus' whose cross he was commanded to carry, but in carrying the cross, a transformation took place, one which not only changed his life but also that of his children.

My prayer is that we all put down the popcorn and pick up the cross so we can experience the transforming power of Jesus' love in our lives.