Simon of Cyrene – Part 1

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross” (Mark 15:21). Probably Simon was a Jew who had come up from Cyrene (in northern Libya) for the Passover (or possibly he had recently moved to Jeru­salem from Cyrene).

Comparing the four gospel accounts, it appears Jesus was too physically exhausted to bear the full burden of the cross all the way to Golgotha. (When one considers all he had gone through during the previous 24 to 48 hours, is there any doubt that he physically could not carry the cross that distance without help?) As this became obvious, a centurion compelled Simon to follow Jesus, carrying the cross for him.

Picture what happened here: Simon literally took up Jesus’ cross and followed him. Then consider Jesus’ words: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Quite likely, at first Simon was not at all pleased to do this. First of all, it was a precious hour out of his day at a very important time of the year. Secondly, it was — obviously — a very distasteful thing. And then, consider the jeers from many in the crowd. Wouldn’t they be, in part, aimed at him for helping such a man as this? And yet — Simon must have thought to himself — ‘I’m not the criminal being taken to execution!’

Nevertheless, Simon was soon to learn much about this man whom he was forced to follow. For he saw a man who, in his terrible extremity of suffering, did not flinch, and did not hurl curses at his executioners. He saw a man who even asked his “Father” (!) to forgive them. And finally he must have come to see that Jesus’ God and Father had provided His Son as a Passover lamb for the sins of the world.

It may be taken as practically certain that Simon’s conversion dated from this very day. Did you notice that Mark in his gospel mentions Simon’s two sons: Alexander and Rufus? Why would he do that unless it would mean something to his readers — that is, that Alexander and Rufus later became Christians, and were in fact Christians at the time Mark set down his story?

Possibly Alexander is mentioned in Acts 19:33 as living in Ephesus while Paul was there. And Rufus may be the brother mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:13: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.” (The name “Rufus” occurs only in these two verses in the Bible.)

What is the most likely scenario? I’d suggest that Rufus and Alexander learned from their father Simon, who was so moved by his crucifixion experience that he became a believer in Jesus Christ. Almost certainly Simon’s wife also learned and became a Christian; notice that she was such a lovely person that Paul could say that she was like a mother to him!

May we go even a little further, and imagine that Jesus spoke to Simon on the way, thanking him for his help? And in this process, and with the succeeding events, Simon’s eyes were opened to the identity of this extraordinary man: that he was the Messiah!

The man compelled to go a mile with Jesus, went with him not only the one mile but a second as well (Matt. 5:41), and then also for the rest of his life.