I'd like to tell you a little Good Friday story. Part of it comes from my imagination, but part of it is factual - based on the Gospel of Mark, chapter 15.
Alexander (lets call him Alex) and his brother, Rufus, loved their father very much. He was a very strong man who was capable of much hard work. Once in a while, he hoisted them onto his shoulders and carried them around. He never seemed to grow tired. They were proud of their father. He stood out in a crowd because he was a big man and also taller than most. His very size seemed to command respect. But inside, he was a gentle man and would never knowingly hurt anyone.
He had to occasionally go to Jerusalem for supplies and would usually take his boys with him. They loved these trips. When they would come to the crowded marketplaces, he would hold each of them by their hands to keep them from getting separated and lost. Their smaller hands got lost in his big, rough hands. He worked in the fields and with the animals, so his hands had become calloused and brown from the sun. He was not a famous man, but he was respected because he was honest, fair and a hard worker. But most important, he loved their mother! This fact gave the boys a wonderful sense of security. They had good parents, and they knew it.
Alex was a year older than his brother, Rufus, but age didn't really matter to them. They played together every day and also had a few other friends on the farm where their father worked. They played with a home-made ball that they kicked and threw around. They climbed olive trees and hid from their father. When he would walk below them, they would jump out and try to scare him. He would catch them and rub their heads with his knuckles and then tickle them until they couldn't stand it any longer. He occasionally would tickle their Mom too, but she didn't think it was funny and would pretend to get angry with him. They would all end up laughing together...
Theirs was a poor but happy home. Their father often told them, "All you need to be happy is the love of a family, enough food for the day and a safe, soft place to sleep." They knew he was right and they never longed for things or for wealth. Most of the time, their mother put them to bed at night, but once in a while their father would settle them down. They would beg him for a story, and he would sometimes tell them about his own growing up years. But then, he would wrap each of them up tightly in their blanket so that they could hardly move. Then, he would kiss them on the forehead and pray over them. When leaving their sides, he would stop in the dim light and say, "You boys must love God first, always bless your family and be kind even to strangers. This will please God and you will live a long life!"
One morning the boys had finished their breakfast and were wondering what to do when their father asked if they wanted to go to Jerusalem with him. They burst to his side and off they went. It was a long walk and their father always carried a sack with bread and grape juice. Going to Jerusalem was all up hill, so it was a little hard-going. The trip back was always more enjoyable.
When they approached the marketplace, the crowd began to grow thicker, so their father took each boy by the hand to keep them together and safe. Soon the crowd became so thick that they could hardly get through. Their father was curious and pressed to the front to see what was going on. This public road with merchants and vendors was always busy, but today the crowd was exceptional. Soon, Roman soldiers stopped them from going any further. As they looked up-and-down 'the way of suffering' they saw something that immediately shocked them all.
A man - nearly naked - was dragging a heavy cross-bar through the streets. The soldiers were mocking Him and beating Him and spitting on Him. He was clearly exhausted and had been beaten with a whip until His back was totally scarred and bloody. He wore a crown of thorns that had been pressed cruelly on His head. Many of the crowd were weeping at the sight of this man. Others were jeering and seemed to be thrilled at this horrible sight. Then they heard that His name was Jesus!
They said to their father, "Dad, it's Jesus!" They began to cry as they remembered the day He had pulled them up onto his lap and laid His hands on their heads. "Why are they being so mean to Jesus?" the boys asked their father. "I don't know, boys, but we must pray for Him." They peeked between Roman soldiers as Jesus grew closer until He finally collapsed right in front of them. The soldiers whipped Him in an attempt to get Him back on His feet, but He just laid in the street.
When the soldiers realized that Jesus couldn't carry His cross any farther, they began to look around. One of them spied Simon - the boy's father. He stood out from the crowd because of his size and height. That soldier roughly called to their Dad, "Pick up His cross and carry it!" Without a second thought, Simon turned to the boys and told them to keep him in sight. Then, he stepped into the street and picked up the heavy cross-bar. While lifting it to his shoulders, he reached down again and helped Jesus to His feet. Together, Simon and Jesus followed the cruel soldiers out of the city and up to 'the place of the skull'.
Once there, Simon was relieved of his responsibility and was able to rejoin his boys. He took them by their hands and led them away. From a distance, they sat and watched the grisly scene develop. Finally, Simon took the boys away and they headed toward home. The walk was quiet as they felt the sadness of what was happening to Jesus. They had made a trip to see Him a year ago and heard Him teach. That was the day that Jesus had called the children to come to Him so He could bless them. Alex and Rufus had slipped from their mother's hand and had run to Jesus. His tenderness was a moment they would never forget. Their parents had been moved by His teaching.
"Why were they being so mean to Jesus?" the boys asked their father. "I don't know, boys," their father answered. Then he said, "Jesus is a good man and a great teacher. He has healed many who were sick and some say that He even raised some people from the dead. He has performed miracles that are talked about all throughout Judea." Just as he said this, the sun was quickly hidden from them and a night-like darkness fell over all the land - even though it was mid-day. The boys were frightened. Then the earth began to shake and they scrambled for high ground as they made their way home. If the boys hadn't been with their father, they would have been terrified, but they knew that he would keep them safe.
After three hours the darkness lifted and it was daylight again. About then, they reached home and told their mother about everything they had seen that day in Jerusalem. It was a day they'd never forget. It was the day their Dad carried Jesus' cross!
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