“Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.”  Matthew 27:32.

In my Bible study of Matthew, we have come to the chapters on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.   Having just celebrated Easter, the death of Christ is still fresh in our minds.  The suffering of Jesus was a terrible ordeal before He was nailed to the cross!  Being nailed to a Roman cross, hearing the jeers of sinful men, the mocking of the High Priest and religious leaders and the taunts of the robbers was horrific enough!  Then the wrath of God descended on Jesus for three hours and at the same time, He was separated from His Father.  It’s an overwhelming scene.  To think what our tender loving Shepherd Savior suffered all for me!

For a moment, there is a sweet scene I see of a stranger from Cyrene, Simon by name.  Because of the scourging, Jesus was unable to carry his cross, so Simon was ordered to do it for Him.  One of the questions in our study was, “Try to imagine what Simon of Cyrene saw, heard, and thought as He carried Jesus’ cross.”  I pondered that question, so I did a word search on Simon and found some interesting information on who he was and where he came from!

Some Bible scholars think Simon was a black man because he came from Cyrene, located in North Africa.  It’s a possibility, but also possible that he was a Jew, living in Africa because of the dispersions after the kingdoms of Israel were defeated by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.  I can only imagine the kindness and compassion of Jesus toward Simon!  It must have been an electrifying moment and possibly at that time, Simon believed on Jesus.  From the Praetorium to the place of a Skull was about ½ mile, so Simon would have ample time to talk to Jesus.  I can only imagine what was said!  We know it had a lasting effect on him!

Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Matthew only records his name and place of origin, but Mark and Luke say that he was “on his way in from the country” (Luke 23:26).  Mark adds more information about Simon, adding that he was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21) who were well known to Mark’s readers.  Some Bible scholars believe that the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13, is the same man Paul greets in his letter to Rome.  He calls him “chosen in the Lord, and his mother has been a mother to me, too.”  Paul’s knowledge of Rufus’s family indicates at some point they lived further east and the whole family, including Simon’s wife became believers in the Lord Jesus.  It makes me wonder if Simon’s sons were with their father at the crucifixion.

Many Jews from Cyrene returned to Israel and were part of a community in Jerusalem.  It was comprised of Jews from Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia (Acts 6:9).  Luke records men from Cyrene being among those converted at Pentecost (Acts 2:10).  After the martyrdom of Stephen, believers from Cyrene were among the first to be scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem; they arrived in Antioch and preached to the gentiles there (Acts 11:20).  These believers formed the foundation for the church in Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).  Antioch became a “sending” church and sent Paul, Barnabas, Silas and others out as missionaries.  “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord,” Acts 11:21. 

Your friend, Jean