Luke 23:26“And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry behind Jesus.”

After being up all night and enduring numerous beatings and a nightmarish scourging, Jesus then had to carry the heavy crossbeam of his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem and up the hill where he would see his life finally brought to a close. Fatigued and with a back raw and bleeding, they placed a rough hewn beam of perhaps 100lbs in weight upon the once strong shoulders of our Lord. He struggled beneath the burden. He fell. He got up, struggled some more. He fell again. Jesus Christ, creator of the universe and son of God Almighty would not have struggled so. For Jesus the man, in the frail humanity that he put on so that we could relate to him, it was more than he could bear alone. He needed the help of another. Even in the midst of his suffering, Jesus was teaching us that there will be times when we will need a helping hand too. We cannot always do it in our own strength. Jesus will be that helping hand. ‘Give me your burdens’ he tells us. “For my yoke is easy,and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:30)

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I am too proud sometimes and I struggle needlessly. You did not create me to be alone, to be an island. I know there will be times that I will need the help of others. I will always need your help and guidance. Keep me humble enough to ask for help when I need it, or not too proud to turn down help when it is offered. If you, in your humanity needed help, who am I to think I can do it by myself? Thank you for your example, and for your offer to take my burdens. I give them to you today, Lord–in your mighty name I thank you…Amen.”