Take Up Your Cross - Part 1
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The Role of Simon of Cyrene
Submitted by Thomas Stidl
We are told in the scriptures that Simon of Cyrene was forced to help Jesus to carry his cross. All three synoptic gospels basically relate the same revelation. Matthew Chapter 27, Verse 21 relates the story this way, “that on their way out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon, this man, they pressed into service to carry the cross.” Mark Chapter 15, Verse 21 relates the story this way. “They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.” Luke Chapter 23, Verse 26 relates it this way. “As they led him away, they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”
Why was Simon pressed into service? Roman law stated that soldiers could force any human being to carry a burden for one mile. Did the Romans unwittingly play into the preaching of Jesus by making Simon carry the cross of Jesus? Did not Jesus say that in order to be his disciple that we must all carry our daily crosses? Simon is the perfect example of this teaching. This allowed Jesus to be hung on the cross fulfilling all scripture passages related to his death.
There is one more theory about this. On the night before he died, Jesus asked the Father to remove the suffering that He was about to undergo. However, Jesus also stated, “Not my will, but, Thy will be done.” Was the assistance that Jesus asked for in the garden personified in Simon? That is quite possibly true. Nothing has been recorded of any conversation that Jesus and Simon may have had during the journey to Calvary. Just being with our Divine Savior on his last journey probably converted Simon to be a follower of Jesus, just as he followed Jesus with the crossbeam on his shoulder to Calvary.
According to tradition after the Resurrection of Jesus, Simon and his entire family converted to the new Christian faith. Simon went to preach in Egypt. What an example he must have set for future converts to Christianity? The teaching of Jesus about our daily crosses was totally personified in Simon. At the end of his life Simon was martyred in 100 AD by being cut in half with a saw.
Until next time, Deo Gratias. Laus Deo. Laus tibi, Christe. See you in paradise.
