Simon of Cyrene, Jesus’ Last Helper, Part 1
Simon of Cyrene was from Libya in northern Africa. He was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover when Jesus was taken into custody and crucified. He is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The following is part one of a letter to Simon that was written by Joseph McAuley (assistant editor of the magazine “America”) on March 26, 2016:
“Dear Simon of Cyrene,
In the New Testament narratives of the Crucifixion, you make only one appearance, one that is brief but meaningful: you were selected to help Jesus carry his cross. In Matthew’s Gospel (27:32), we read that “as they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man was compelled to carry his cross.” And in Luke’s Gospel (23:26), you were “seized” when you were coming in from the country. Whether you were “compelled” or “seized” does not matter; it was you, of all the people present that day, who became the one who helped the Son of God.
You were one of many people there on that day, that Good Friday, to be a witness to the death of a good man who happened to be the Savior of the world, only no one knew it at the time. Perhaps you realized that after your encounter with Jesus on his last journey and walked with him, literally, on his last mile.
We don’t know why you were there; perhaps out of curiosity you went to see for yourself—what and who—Jesus of Nazareth was all about, like many other people who were present that day. Were you one of the “secret followers” of Jesus who remained hidden until the last moment when, by your actions, you came forward to assist him? Scripture says you were “compelled” and yet, people since that time have continued to believe that you volunteered out of pity and mercy for a good man who was facing his death alone. We are not precisely sure why you were there, but you were, and you were plucked from obscurity by the Roman soldier to come forward to carry Jesus’ cross with him. You were Jesus’ last helper.
You are depicted in many ways and in many forms of media, through paintings, sketching, sculptures, even in mosaics. Sometimes, you are presented as rough- hewn and scowling, not a little put-out by having to perform this duty, when others could have done it, and you could have been left alone; at other times, you are presented tenderly, with a countenance that bespeaks of mercy, pity and compassion, and you willingly offer your hand and your heart to Jesus, who, divine as he was, gratefully accepted the very human help you offered him.
Carrying a cross is a difficult thing. Early on in his ministry, Jesus beckoned everyone to “pick up your cross” if they wished to follow him. Many at the time did; and today, many do, and yet there are others still who either don’t or won’t, for it is too much.
The cross is a burden and far from being a light yoke, but Jesus underwent the burden of carrying it. It required fortitude and patience and in many cases, not a small amount of suffering and a great deal of love—yet Jesus took it up…” (continued next week)
The following is part one of a letter to Simon that was written by Joseph McAuley (assistant editor of the magazine “America”) on March 26, 2016:
“Dear Simon of Cyrene,
In the New Testament narratives of the Crucifixion, you make only one appearance, one that is brief but meaningful: you were selected to help Jesus carry his cross. In Matthew’s Gospel (27:32), we read that “as they went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man was compelled to carry his cross.” And in Luke’s Gospel (23:26), you were “seized” when you were coming in from the country. Whether you were “compelled” or “seized” does not matter; it was you, of all the people present that day, who became the one who helped the Son of God.
You were one of many people there on that day, that Good Friday, to be a witness to the death of a good man who happened to be the Savior of the world, only no one knew it at the time. Perhaps you realized that after your encounter with Jesus on his last journey and walked with him, literally, on his last mile.
We don’t know why you were there; perhaps out of curiosity you went to see for yourself—what and who—Jesus of Nazareth was all about, like many other people who were present that day. Were you one of the “secret followers” of Jesus who remained hidden until the last moment when, by your actions, you came forward to assist him? Scripture says you were “compelled” and yet, people since that time have continued to believe that you volunteered out of pity and mercy for a good man who was facing his death alone. We are not precisely sure why you were there, but you were, and you were plucked from obscurity by the Roman soldier to come forward to carry Jesus’ cross with him. You were Jesus’ last helper.
You are depicted in many ways and in many forms of media, through paintings, sketching, sculptures, even in mosaics. Sometimes, you are presented as rough- hewn and scowling, not a little put-out by having to perform this duty, when others could have done it, and you could have been left alone; at other times, you are presented tenderly, with a countenance that bespeaks of mercy, pity and compassion, and you willingly offer your hand and your heart to Jesus, who, divine as he was, gratefully accepted the very human help you offered him.
Carrying a cross is a difficult thing. Early on in his ministry, Jesus beckoned everyone to “pick up your cross” if they wished to follow him. Many at the time did; and today, many do, and yet there are others still who either don’t or won’t, for it is too much.
The cross is a burden and far from being a light yoke, but Jesus underwent the burden of carrying it. It required fortitude and patience and in many cases, not a small amount of suffering and a great deal of love—yet Jesus took it up…” (continued next week)