He Carried the Cross for a Moment...Then Jesus Changed His Family Forever

Ken Tram

Mark 15:21; 2 Corinthians 6:12; Romans 16:13

What do you do when God interrupts your plans at the worst possible moment? Pastor Ken tells the story of Simon of Cyrene, a man in Jerusalem for the Passover who was pulled from the crowd and forced to carry Jesus’ cross (Mark 15:21). He points to Romans 16:13, where Paul greets Rufus and his mother, as a sign that one forced encounter reached Simon’s whole family. The message then turns the question on us: what are we passing on to the people around us? It’s for anyone who feels interrupted by God, or wonders what their faith is for.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MESSAGE

Who was Simon of Cyrene, and why did he carry Jesus’ cross?

Mark 15:21 says Simon, “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” was passing by on his way in from the country when soldiers forced him to carry the cross. Pastor Ken pictures a devout Jewish traveler in town for the Passover, not a disciple, who likely didn’t want to be there. The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened to him afterward, which is why the sermon looks to his family.

How do we know the encounter changed his family?

Mark names Simon’s sons, Alexander and Rufus, as if readers would know them. In Romans 16:13, Paul sends greetings to Rufus, “chosen in the Lord,” and to his mother. Pastor Ken reads that as a sign that Jesus spread through Simon’s household, and he says an encounter with Jesus can change a family’s story for generations.

What does it mean to “multiply intentionally”?

Pastor Ken’s point is that you’re already multiplying something, whether you intend to or not, through your words, habits, and how you treat the people closest to you. So the question isn’t whether you influence people but what they’re becoming because of you. He roots the call in Mark 1:17, where Jesus says “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Is it true that God’s interruptions are for our good?

Pastor Ken calls God “a God of interruptions” and says we tend to see them as bad when, in the long run, they are for good. His claim is that when you encounter Jesus, God rewrites your story for the better, not for the worse. He points to Simon, who was interrupted on the way to worship and met Jesus instead.