When I was a little girl, I loved going to Bible class. I loved hearing the stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Joseph and Mary, Elizabeth, Mary and Martha, and stories about Jesus. I enjoyed hearing them over and over again.
When I went off to college, I went with, what I thought was a wealth of knowledge about the Bible. I soon learned that I had a lot to learn. That has not changed for me. Every time I read a story, prepare to teach a class, or hear a sermon, I learn something new. Sometimes I discover that there are things I want to know that are just not contained in the pages of Scripture.
Such is the case with Simon of Cyrene. We find him placed almost incidentally in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21; and Luke 23:26. He is just mentioned and without much detail.
These things we do know. We can learn from history that Cyrene was a coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea, West of Egypt. Because of its location, some have speculated that he was dark skinned. That could be true. There was a population of Jews that lived in this region, and he may have simply been a Jew living in this area.
Making the trip to Jerusalem would not have been unusual for the people of Cyrene. We know from Acts 2:10 that there were people from Cyrene present on Pentecost. They would have seen the miracle of the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles, and they would have heard Peter’s sermon—in their own language. Could he have been one of the 3,000 baptized?
Another thing we know about Simon is that he had two sons, Alexander and Rufus. Both names are mentioned in other places, but there is no specific indication that either was the sons mentioned here.
We also know that, according to Matthew and Mark, Simon was compelled into service. Luke says he was seized. It is obvious that Simon didn’t jump out in front of the soldiers and volunteer. He would have probably been overwhelmed by the events taking place. Mark says he was “coming in from the country.” Imagine just arriving in a city and being forced by soldiers to carry a cross for a man sentenced to death.
That is about all we know about Simon. So, why is he mentioned? He may have been mentioned and named because the apostles, at some point, may have met him. They may have wanted to show him as an example to future generations, Maybe he was mentioned to substantiate the account. Whatever the reason, we know his name.
What lessons can we learn from this man? I believe the most valuable lesson we learn is humility. Though he was probably terrified, he carried Jesus’ cross. He would have been taunted just like Jesus was. With crowds all around them, taunting, spitting, throwing things, Simon would have received some of that treatment as well.
What we learn from his humility is that it is not always easy to follow Jesus. With all of the distractions and temptations thrown at us daily, doing what is right is not always easy. We have to remain humble servants to endure what is placed in our path.
Simon eased Jesus’ burden. Jesus had been scourged, and His physical body was weighted down with a heavy cross. When Simon bore the cross for him, he gave some comfort to Jesus. Hebrews 6:6 says that when Christians fall away, they are crucifying again the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. When we resist temptation and follow Christ, we comfort the Savior. We are not crucifying Him all over again.
There is no mention of Simon after this passage, but we know he existed. We know the story is true. We know Matthew, Mark, and Luke placed him here for a purpose. We can only speculate why, but we can allow him to serve as an example for us. Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (Second Timothy 3:16-17).
Sandra Oliver