The cross Jesus carried to Golgotha was too heavy, so Simon of Cyrene was asked to help Him (Mark 15:21). This encounter with Jesus changed his life. Simon was a Jew and a native of North Africa who probably had just arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. The fact that his sons are named suggests that they were well known to the audience of Mark’s Gospel in Rome. Interestingly, Paul also mentions a Rufus and his mother, who was like a mother to Paul himself (Romans 16:13). If this is indeed the same Rufus, it suggests that Simon became a follower of Jesus after carrying the cross, and his family, too, became believers.

Simon’s small act of obedience to help Jesus appears to have transformed the lives of his whole family and led them to play greater roles in the kingdom of God later. Often, we may think that we must be fully equipped or be fully matured in Christ in order to serve God. But God is looking only for people who are faithful and obedient to serve Him. Our first “yes” to a small task may transform us to be more like Christ, and open doors to more significant opportunities to serve the Lord down the road.

Are we willing to be obedient to serve the Lord, even though it may seem to be a “small” task of carrying another’s burden?