Simon Of Cyrene: A Poor And Blessed Man

Let’s read Mark 15:16-32. Last week we learned that even though Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, he eventually gave in to the pressure of the crowd who wanted Jesus crucified. Verse 15 says: “Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them. But he flogged Jesus and handed him over to be crucified.” The phrase “he flogged Jesus” seems like a simple thing, like someone getting lashed once or twice. But in those days, this punishment was brutal.

Here’s a picture of it. The wooden handle of the whip was wrapped in layers of leather. Sharp pieces of bone, stone, and metal were tied to the ends of the rope. The beating was done by two scourges taking turns, and they kept going until the flesh on the back was torn, so the muscles were torn and the skin was destroyed. Historically, this resulted in the exposure of deep veins and arteries, and sometimes the entrails and organs, leading to death before the crucifixion could take place.

Jesus underwent such a scourging. That is why the state of Jesus as depicted in the film “The Passion of Christ” is not an exaggeration. In such a state, Jesus was taken to the Roman courthouse as mentioned in verse 16. Hundreds of Roman troops were called to ensure the smooth running of Jesus’ crucifixion. They thought Jesus was like other people who were executed by crucifixion, namely slaves, major criminals, or rebels.

According to historians, during that period, about 30,000 people were crucified in Israel. The soldiers did not know who the Man in front of them was. They did not know that Jesus had not committed any crimes. On the contrary, during His life, He helped and healed many people. He never encouraged His followers to rebel against the Roman government. Instead, He taught about love, forgiving enemies, and paying taxes to the government.

In verses 17-20 it is told how the soldiers treated Jesus very rudely; they mocked, ridiculed Jesus, spat on His face, and hit Him on the head. In short, they bullied Jesus badly. They saw Jesus as a mentally disturbed, delusional person who thought He was a Jewish King. If the soldiers had known who Jesus was, they might not have done that.

Today, many people are like those soldiers. They mock Jesus, insult Him, and even curse using the name of Jesus Christ, both in Hollywood films and in everyday conversation. Of course, we feel sad and upset to hear our Lord being treated like that. I have always hoped that there would be Christian figures who would dare to protest so that they would stop using the word Jesus Christ to curse. Didn’t they curse by mentioning the names of prophets of other religions?

For us, Jesus Christ is more than a prophet. He is the God we worship. So, why haven’t any prominent Christians protested? It seems that we need to learn from Jesus Himself how He responded to those who treated Him like that and even crucified Him. Before He died, Jesus prayed for them. Luke 23:34 records: “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

After that, the soldiers took Jesus out to be crucified. Jesus was so weak and in pain. He had not slept all night because he had undergone six trials. After that, He was flogged. So that Jesus was not strong enough to carry the cross to Golgotha. Verse 22 tells us: “At that time a man named Simon of Cyrene, who had just come in from the country, passed by and they compelled him to carry the cross of Jesus.”

Simon came from the city of Cyrene, or the country of Libya today, to Jerusalem to attend the Passover celebration. He happened to meet Jesus who fell because he could no longer carry the cross so he was forced to carry Jesus' cross. We do not know whether Simon knew who Jesus was and why He was crucified. But as a Jew or a follower of Judaism, Simon knew that the crucified person was cursed so he did not want to carry Jesus' cross. But he was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus' cross to Golgotha ??which was about three-quarters of a mile away. It is likely that he only had the crossbar which weighed about 90 - 100 pounds. The total weight of the cross is about 300 pounds. The distance was not too far, but a load of 100 pounds going uphill certainly exhausted him. Maybe in his heart, he grumbled and was upset with the soldiers: “Why me? I just arrived here. I am tired!”

However, without him realizing it, it was a blessing in disguise. According to historical records, Simon did not immediately leave after arriving at Golgotha. While he was resting, he saw what was happening there: how Jesus was mocked but He was not angry but instead forgave them. He may also have heard Jesus' conversation with the criminal crucified next to him. Also, hear the last seven sentences Jesus spoke before His death, like “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”