Way of the Cross: Stations 5, 6, and 7

Homily notes: The Rev. Michael S. Bell for Lenten chapel service on 7 March 2012 at Bishop Seabury Academy (Lawrence, KS) 

What’s the difference “absolute historical accuracy” and “truth-telling” when it comes to stories that inspire and move you?  Though we don’t have much historical evidence of the factual accuracy of the stories represented in these images, they nonetheless tell us about truth.   These stories have endured for hundreds of years in our traditional telling of the Way of the Cross.  And, people from all over the world, when visiting Jerusalem today, will walk the Way of the Cross in remembrance of these images.  Why do you imagine we tell these stories over and over?  What truth do you think they represent?  

·         There’s no reference in the Bible about Jesus falling a second time, much less a first or a third time.  We easily imagine, however, given all that he had been through and the weight of the timber used for the cross, that Jesus may have fallen several times as he made his way along the road.

·         There’s no reference in the Bible about a woman coming up to wipe the bloody and sweaty face of Jesus as he carried his cross to his own execution.   We can easily imagine, however, given all the good news that he had spread and all the people that he had helped and healed, that someone had enough compassion for Jesus to risk approaching him amid the Roman soldiers to at the very least wipe some of the blood and salty/stingy sweat from his face as he passed by.  Tradition calls names this woman Veronica, which is derived from Latin words meaning true icon/image.

·         And, we know very little about Simon of Cyrene except that he was a father and that ‘of Cyrene’ means that he was from the northern territory of Africa, i.e., perhaps a foreigner/visitor in Jerusalem who perhaps didn’t have the same the skin color, ethnic identity, religious etc. as Jesus – Simon might have been Jewish, he might not have been; he might have just visiting his children, he might have been a migrant worker, who knows…  We don’t know precisely what compelled Simon to lift the cross, but we can imagine that to Jesus, this man was an unfamiliar face from the crowd who showed up just in time to lift some of the burden from Jesus even if only briefly.

·         Jesus had a family – we’re told he had sisters and brothers.  Yet, in this walk with Jesus, we don’t hear about them coming to help.  Jesus had close friends and followers (the apostles and disciples).  Yet, we don’t see any of them coming to his aid on this painful journey.  In fact, out of fear of being hurt themselves, they’ve run away from this scene.

·         Jesus knows what it’s like to feel abandoned, to not have the strength to go on, and the humiliation of falling vulnerable in front of others.  And, Jesus knows what it’s like to receive kindness from strangers.

·         The people we remember so vividly in today’s stations are ‘strangers’ who stepped out of the crowd to walk with someone struggling, shouldering the cross for him for bit and offering a moment of relief and dignity.

What do you do when you know others might need your help? 

If you had fallen, were out of strength, and unable to move on, how’d you feel if help came, not from one of your family or friends, but from a compassionate stranger?

Have you ever felt like there was no way to go on by yourself – the burden was too heavy / you were too tired?  Did someone come along and lift you up?  Have you thanked them?

Have you ever seen someone carrying something heavy (literally or figuratively) or being picked-on?  Were you bold enough to stand in and help/defend them, or at least compassionate enough to offer them comfort?

Who do you know that might feel alone right now? 
What help can you offer, even if only for a little while, so they’ll know they’re not alone?

PRAYER: Jesus, as we walk the Way of the Cross, through the humiliation and pain of your Passion, in these images of your own vulnerability and humanity, with an eye toward your ultimate victory, help us find strength and courage to face our own struggles.  Help us to see more clearly how to express love for our neighbors, particularly when they suffer, and even when it’s risky to do so; and how to accept kindness from strangers, even when we’re weary.   AMEN.