COMPELLED

As much as we like to think of ourselves as having the right and ability to do as we please, we know we are all subject to someone. Children answer to parents; employees answer to employers; citizens answer to the law of the land. Ultimately, we all answer to God.

The word “compel” means to force someone to do something. It is bringing something about by using force or pressure to make it happen.

Being compelled to do things can be positive and negative. Being compelled by man to do things may or may not be for our benefit. This can bring about negative thoughts, resentful feelings, and resistance.

One particular incident in the New Testament probably brought about some negative thoughts and resentful feelings, but probably little resistance. The passage is found in Matthew 27:32 and is the recounting of Jesus’ being led away to be crucified. “As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.”

The only other information we have about Simon is found in Mark 15:21. “And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.”  The scripture doesn’t say how he reacted to this, but I think we can guess. I suspect he was not happy about carrying a heavy burden, such as a cross, through a crowd of angry people. He was compelled by soldiers, so he had no choice but to obey.

Simon probably received nothing for bearing this burden to Golgotha. He may or may not have stood in the distance and watched the crucifixion. He was simply compelled, forced to perform a task.

This man of Cyrene was the only one recorded in scripture who was compelled to have any part in the crucifixion. Everyone else participated of his or her own free will.

• There were those that beat Jesus.
• There were those that tore off His clothes.
• There were those that spit on Him and slapped His face.
• There were those that blindfolded Him and tried to get Him to tell them who hit Him.
• There were Annas and Caiphas, high priests, who consented to the torture.
• There was Pilate who refused to release Him, though he found no fault in Him.
• There were soldiers that gambled for His clothes.
• There were followers of Jesus, Joseph and Nicodemus, who took His body and buried it.

One man was compelled to be a part of an injustice. One man was compelled to bear a burden he did not choose to bear. One man was subjected to the humiliation of dragging a cross through the streets of Jerusalem and up to Calvary.

We are not forced to obey the gospel of Christ. We are not forced to do good to all men. We are not forced to live a life pleasing to God.

We are given a choice. We have complete freedom to obey or not obey what God wants us to do. Let me give you some examples.

In Acts 2, we read about the first gospel sermon. In this sermon Peter preached to a multitude of people from many countries and many different walks of life. He told them they had crucified the Son of God (Acts 2:36).

Many of these people called out to him and asked what they needed to do. This is what he said. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, ESV). In response, about 3,000 were baptized (Acts 2:41).

In Acts 6, a man named Stephen was doing “great wonders and signs among the people.” Some of the rulers didn’t like what he was doing so they stirred up the people and took him into custody. Then they brought in false witnesses that accused him of speaking against the Holy Spirit and the law.

Of course, neither was true; but in the end, the people stoned him to death. They didn’t want to accept the truth (Acts 7:54-60).

A young man named Saul of Tarsus was present at this stoning and consented to Stephen’s death. Saul was later in charge of persecuting the Christians; on his way to Damascus, he was visited by the Lord in a vision.

His instructions were to go to the city and there he would be told what he needed to do (Acts (9:11). In the city he heard the gospel from Ananias, and there he was baptized (Acts 9:18).

There are many other examples, but in these we can see that no one was compelled or forced to obey. God gave them a choice, just as He gives us a choice.

Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). He makes the same offer to us today, but He will not force us. The choice is ours.

Sandra Oliver