A Man Compelled

 “As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.” (Matthew 27:32 ESV)

In a study, we were asked by the facilitator if we could be anyone in the Bible, who would we be? Answers ranged from Ruth to Solomon to King David and Moses. When it came to my turn, I really had to think about it, and I chose Simon of Cyrene.

Not much is known about Simon of Cyrene. He is a figure shrouded in mystery, mentioned in the synoptic gospels. Mark tells us he had two sons, Rufus and Alexander, and that Simon was coming from the country. (15:21). Luke also tells us Simon was coming to Jerusalem from the country (23:26). After Simon left Jesus at the cross on Golgatha, the place of the skull, we hear from him no more.

If I could have carried the cross of our Lord and Savior, what more could I do but love this man? Even though he was compelled to carry this cross for an unknown “criminal,” Simon must have realized something was different about this man, Jesus. Maybe his act of carrying the cross was not just a physical burden but a spiritual journey, a moment of profound connection with Christ's suffering.

Simon would have witnessed the hatred toward this man, the spitting, the kicking, and the punching, and yet this man, Jesus of Nazareth, remained silent. Even when taunted by those around him, Jesus remained silent. His silence in the face of such cruelty must have been a powerful testament to his divinity. Something must have registered with Simon that this beaten, bleeding, and silent man was something special.

There are traditions and apocryphal writings about Simon, but we should not be confident in these writings. However, I want to believe that something profound happened to Simon of Cyrene on that fateful day. Perhaps, just perhaps, he came to faith in Christ.

Christ is still teaching me who I am and what He expects of me, so I am content to continue growing in His light. But if I could be someone in the Bible, I would be the man who, for a brief time, carried the weight of the cross for the Son of God who died on that cross that I might find salvation in the very blood of a so-called “criminal in Jerusalem.”

Simon's experience reminds us that we all have our own 'crosses' to bear, our own moments of suffering and doubt. But it is in these moments that we can find the deepest connection with Christ and the greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. As Simon left that hill, he probably watched the raising of that cross and wondered, who was that man? I wonder if he ever found out. Who would you want to be? Really dig deep and ask yourself why and for whose glory.

Grace and Peace?