Simon of Cyrene: The Man Chosen to Carry the Cross

Simon was his name. He had just arrived in Jerusalem with his wife and two small boys for Passover when we catch up to him in Scripture. Together, they traveled from their home in Cyrene, a region in northern Africa we know today as Libya. His journey to Jerusalem would have been no small matter – a journey of about 800-900 miles. Despite its lengthy nature, though, it would have been a time of great anticipation for them all as Passover was the zenith of Jewish celebration. They would have likely been expectant of seeing the magnificent sight of Herod’s Temple, experiencing the hustle and bustle of the city, and worshipping with fellow Jews as offerings were made for the forgiveness of sins.
Simon’s story is quite a profound one too as three of the four gospel writers mention him (Matthew 17:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26. For you see, the moment Simon and his family arrive in Jerusalem, the city is in an uproar over a certain “criminal” that has just been ordered to be executed by the Roman governor. Likely confused by the commotion, Simon is barely able to get his mind around it all before a Roman solider grabs his arm and says, “You! Carry his cross!” Torn between his family and the soldier’s orders, Simon complies. He reaches down, picks up the wooden crossbeam, looks the “criminal” in the eyes, and starts walking.
My mind has always teetered and marveled at what this experience must have been like for Simon. He had no idea who this “criminal” was, nor did he have any idea what He had done. Mere inches away from the Son of God, he likely touched Him, talked to Him, and even got His blood on his hands. The trip would have been exhausting too as the path to Golgotha is not an easy one. Once they arrived, Simon had a front row seat to the execution that would change his life forever.
Simon was the one man in human history who was asked to carry the cross for Jesus – a blessing and a curse all wrapped into one. You see, Jesus had reached a place where He just couldn’t physically carry his cross anymore. Exhausted from sleeplessness, a scourging, and no food or water, Jesus couldn’t go any further. So, Simon was the guy who got to help Him.
Despite the traumatic effect it likely had on him initially, history tells us that this experience would ultimately change his life for the good; and not only his life, but his wife and two sons’ too: Rufus and Alexander. Simon’s wife and his two boys would become believers and play an important role in the movement of the Gospel in the early church. Paul mentions Rufus and his mother in his closing remarks in Romans 16:13 – a salutation that wouldn’t have been made casually. It is also likely true that Simon and his family would have been some of the very ones who took the Gospel back to Africa after Passover, forming one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. God certainly used men like Simon, the Ethiopian eunuch, and others after Jesus’s death and resurrection to take the Gospel to parts of the world where it would flourish.
It’s a fascinating story to say the least. It’s one of my favorite examples in Scripture that remind of how God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways to accomplish His will. It’s also a reminder of how God invites us into His story of redemption to play a part. The question is: What part are you playing? Is God asking you to do something today? The answer to that question is something only you can know.
May Simon help you find your way.

Blessings,
Bro. Ben