Simon of Cyrene



One of the most interesting characters in the account of the crucifixion is Simon of Cyrene.  Cyrene was in North Africa, in what is modern day Libya.  It was over eight hundred miles from Jerusalem.  Simon had come to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to celebrate Passover.  Perhaps he had worked very hard to save up the money he needed to make this journey.  It might have been a once-in-a-lifetime trip for him.  It could have been the highlight of his life to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his Jewish brethren.  Mark says Simon was just coming into the city from the country.  It was very likely that he had never heard of Jesus and didn’t know what was going on in Jerusalem that morning.  Perhaps he had no interest in Jesus whatsoever!  He was just passing by.  Yet, as he tried to make his way through the crowd a Roman soldier seized him and shouted at him over the din of the people, “You there!  This man can carry his cross no farther!  You carry it for him!”

            Try to picture this situation!  Simon had been traveling in a dusty caravan for weeks.  He had probably stayed overnight in an inn not very far from Jerusalem.  When he got up that day he washed himself and probably put on his best clothes, maybe even new clothes, so he would look his best when he arrived at the temple later that morning.  He was so excited to see the great city and to lay his eyes on the magnificent temple!  The noise was confusing.  He didn’t hear happy, celebrating voices.  Instead he heard angry shouting and mocking and he saw a procession of condemned men approaching his position.  Suddenly he felt himself being jerked out of the crowd by a Roman soldier.  He saw a bloodied and beaten man struggling with a cross.  Two soldiers lifted the cross from the man and laid it upon Simon’s own shoulders and before he knew it, Simon was trudging with the cross toward the place of execution.  I doubt he knew at that moment that his name would go down in history and people would still be talking about him two thousand years later!

            Jesus had said, “Anyone who wants to follow me must deny himself and take up his cross” (Luke 9:23).  All of Jesus’ disciples had enthusiastically vowed that they were able to drink from the same cup as Jesus.  They had promised to stay with him even if it meant death.  But where were they now?  They had all disappeared!  Not one of them was nearby to help Jesus.  There was no friend in the crowd to carry the cross so a stranger was drafted to do it!  Jesus calls on his followers to be cross bearers.  When it comes to carrying the cross of Jesus we must be more like Simon than the disciples!