The phrase “cross to bear” refers to an emotional or spiritual burden, originating from the New Testament story of Jesus carrying his cross. It became an expression for a burden that someone must carry alone, often with religious overtones. The phrase has also been used humorously as a mondegreen, such as “Gladly the Cross-Eyed Bear.”
A “cross to bear” is a common English expression meaning an emotional or spiritual burden. The expression originates from a well-known passage from the New Testament. Jesus Christ, condemned to death by the Roman and Jewish leaders, is forced to carry the cross which will be the instrument of his torture and death while bystanders torment and humiliate him. The modern meaning of the phrase is of a solitary task or burden. Despite this usage, most versions of the New Testament story hold that Christ did not carry his cross by himself.
The action that inspired this phrase was based on Roman military techniques for subjugating a foreign population. During the time of Christ, the Roman Empire was spread across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The riots were brutally put down, and rebel leaders were often publicly tortured and executed to deter other would-be rebels. To the Roman forces stationed in Palestine, Jesus was just another such rebel. The method of his torture and execution was practiced on innumerable other Roman prisoners; unlike Christ, most of these other victims have been forgotten by history.
According to the New Testament, Roman soldiers forced a passerby named Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross of Christ to the place of execution. Many Christian traditions, such as the re-creation of Christ’s last hours known as the Stations of the Cross, hold that Jesus stumbled under his burden, so Simon was forced to lift it. For this task, Simon was later made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The Gospel of John does not mention this incident at all, implying that Christ literally had his cross to bear.
The phrase “cross to bear” eventually became an expression for a burden that someone must carry alone. It usually does not refer to a physical burden, but rather a figurative burden that can cause lasting dismay and distress. Examples might include a potentially damaging secret, a life of poverty, or a moral dilemma. It is often used to indicate a responsibility that cannot be transferred to another person.
The phrase still has religious overtones for many people. Ironically, this solemn use has brought the saying “cross to bear” into humorous use as a mondegreen. This is the term for an often misunderstood song lyrics or saying. Jon Carroll, who has written about mondegreens for the San Francisco Chronicle since 2011, reports that the most commonly presented example is “Gladly the Cross-Eyed Bear.” This is a misquote from the popular gospel hymn “Gladly the Cross Would Bear” written by Fanny Cros in the 1800s.
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