Roman crucifixion in itself was not unusual but was a common practice of the Romans as a form of capital punishment and intimidation. Is There Anything Unusual about Jesus' Path to the Crucifixion? We don’t know why Simon specifically was selected for this task, other than the fact that he was there, he looked capable, and it was clear Jesus had become too weak to carry the cross on his own. This is likely the scenario that led Simon to carry the cross for Jesus. On occasion, a person would be asked to walk ‘an extra mile’ in service to the Romans. This could be bags, equipment, or in this case, a cross. Roman soldiers had the right to place someone into their service to carry things for one mile. We do not know with certainty whether he was a Jew or Gentile, but it is not a stretch to speculate that he was in Jerusalem for the Passover, as many Jews from around the world made their way to Jerusalem for this feast, as it was the most important feast that the Jewish people celebrated. The fact that he is ‘of Cyrene’ tells us that he did not live in Jerusalem where this event takes place but had traveled there from his home. We also know that Simon was from a place called Cyrene, so why was he in Jerusalem?Ĭyrene was a city in what is now modern Libya in Northern Africa and had a significant Jewish population. Simon means “hearer” or “he has heard”, and must have had an especially strong meaning for these men in particular, who had literally heard the good news of Jesus, and been so intimately a part of that good news. The name ‘Simon’ was a common name at the time and is a name shared with several others in the New Testament, most notably the Apostle Simon Peter. We can learn a bit about Simon just by his name. John tells us only that Jesus carried the cross out of the city but doesn’t include the events that happened after Jesus had left the city. It appears that Simon, who was literally following Jesus, would eventually become a true follower and disciple of Jesus. Simon could only go as fast and as far as Jesus went, and we know that Jesus was too weak to carry the cross on his own. In a deeper way, this symbolizes the understood position of any disciple: walking behind their Lord. Luke tells us that Simon was forced to carry the cross behind Jesus. Mark also tells us Simon was on his way in, meaning he was actually headed the opposite direction, and going into Jerusalem while Jesus and the others were going out. We also know that there is a man named Rufus at the church in Rome, so it is not a stretch to think that this co-laborer for the gospel may well be the son of Simon of Cyrene mentioned by Mark. Why would that matter, and how would Mark know this? The best explanation is that the early readers of this Gospel knew who Simon was, and knew his children as well. Mark tells us that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Such is the beauty of Scripture – each verse alone feeds our spiritual needs, yet Scripture as a whole tells us a full, rich, undeniable story of God’s unfolding story of love for us. It is also interesting that each of these three writers, in giving the same account of the same event, all give us the information a little bit differently than the others. While this is the only time he is mentioned in the Bible, it is important enough that he is mentioned by three of the four Gospel writers. This event is recorded in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and in Luke 23:26. Simon of Cyrene has just a passing mention in the Scriptures his name appears in only three verses, all pertaining to carrying the cross for Jesus. The Story of the Man Who Helped Jesus Carry the Cross The journey would have encompassed about a half-mile of winding road, and it on this road that Simon encounters Jesus, and becomes a part of the story.
The winding route Jesus would have walked from here led him through the city to the hill outside the city where he was crucified. The account of the crucifixion begins at the Antonia Fortress in the heart of Jerusalem, where Jesus would have been tried, flogged, and condemned to crucifixion. Who was Simon of Cyrene, why did he carry the cross of Jesus, and what does it mean for us? Among those details, we meet Simon of Cyrene: a person whose legacy has left a significant impact. When we read the story of the crucifixion, we read a story with many details, each holding a special meaning.
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