Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene

Mark 15:21 – The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

Simon’s story is unique. Jesus had previously taught in Mark 8:34 saying, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Simon, however, was coming in from the country as Jesus was struggling to carry the cross they had laid upon him and instead of picking someone who was already there – they zeroed in on Simon and made him carry it.

Simon was not part of the crowd. He had not witnessed the trials, the mockery, the beatings, the floggings. He did not join or mingle with everything the crowd was doing. What he saw before him was a man, barely alive, falling beneath the weight of the instrument that was to kill him. Simon, in wanting to pass by, stood out and was chosen to be the one to carry the cross.

There are rewards for following Jesus. He outlined them in Mark 10:29 and 30 – “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life.

Following Jesus, however, requires more than just passing by and receiving the blessing by association, or claiming that you were there. There were many witnesses there at the cross: mocking Jesus, grieving Jesus, ashamed of Jesus – but only one who dropped everything to carry the cross of Jesus. That was Simon of Cyrene.

We’re not being forced to carry the cross – but we cannot be followers and claim the rewards Jesus offers unless we do. Let’s take a few moments to drop what we’re doing and witness the crucifixion together.

Mark 15:22 – They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). 23 – They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but the did not take it. 24 – Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take. 25 – It was nine o-clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 – The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.”

We must do more than just pass by this scene of the agony of Jesus. Romans 5:8 says – “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

May this demonstration of love move us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus through this age and into eternal life in the age to come.