ver bare, and the breasts that never gave suck. 30
Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to
the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in the green
tree, what shall be done in the dry?

32 And there were also two others, malefactors, led with him to be
put to death.

33 And when they came unto the place which is called The skull,
there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right
hand and the other on the left. 34 And Jesus said, Father, forgive
them; for they know not what they do. And parting his garments
among them, they cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And
the rulers also scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him
save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen. 36 And the
soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, offering him vinegar, 37
and saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And
there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE
JEWS.

The Gospel narratives spare us the distressing details of the crucifixion;
this was the most cruel and agonizing form of death; but the facts are
written with surprising delicacy and reserve. As Jesus was being led from
the city a certain Simon of Cyrene was pressed into the service of bearing
his cross. The cause of this action is purely a matter of conjecture. Its
result was to give Simon immortal fame and apparently to secure for him
eternal salvation; for it seems that this experience, and the knowledge of
Christ gained at Calvary, resulted in the conversion of Simon and his
household, Mark 15:21; Rom. 16:13. In a figure, he was the first of that
long line of men and women who have taken up the cross and followed
Christ. Of course this is a mere symbol, and the actual contrasts are
vital. In reality no one can share the burden of the cross which our
Saviour bore. His sufferings, and his alone, made atonement for sin. Then
again no one can be compelled to take up the cross. There are burdens in
life which cannot be evaded but one can refuse the cross. It is a type of
the voluntary suffering endured for the sake of Christ; it is a symbol of
the complete sacrifice of self and the complete submission to his will
which is necessary for all who share in the redeeming benefits of his
death.

Luke alone records the incident of the women who, wailing and lamenting,
followed Jesus out of the city. It is qui