Simon of Syrene... Why...
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Well, first of all, we know it was not because he wanted to. He was ordered to by the soldiers.
BreadOfLife
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Maybe it has to do with the fact that we are so intimately involved in WHY Jesus had to die in the first place.
Remember - He was carrying OUR cross to suffer in OUR place . . .
Matt. 16:24
“If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me."
BreadOfLife
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I think it does matter who Simon of Syrene was if the Gospel writers thought it necessary to mention him at all and to identify him as from where he was and from where he was coming at the specific time and place and circumstance they mention him, 'personally'.
And I am sure they don't say Simon of Cyrene '~was ALL of us~', which would be quite ridiculous if they did.
Correct. The Roman soldiers were not about to help the One who was ostensibly the *worst* of all the criminals that day. They had already mocked and beaten Christ severely, and put a crown of thorns on His head. And since the Cross was no doubt considerably heavy, they realized that Jesus of Nazareth would collapse right there, and then there would be no crucifixion. So they commandeered* Simon to carry the Cross. Evidently he became a Christian as a result of that.
*enlisted Simon to help in the task, (typically) against the person's will.
Philip James
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Harvest 1874
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"Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).
There is not one care He won't bear. He has been all the way before us. His own burdens were heavy -- Gethsemane to the cross. At the end of that stress our dear Redeemer was so weakened physically that he was unable to bear the cross upon which he was soon to be crucified. They compelled Simon of Cyrene to bear the cross.
Whether this means that he walked behind Jesus in the procession, carrying the cross, or that he carried the hinder part of the cross with Jesus, is uncertain; but in any event he had a most glorious opportunity, even though it was compulsory. Many of the Lord’s dear people, reading the account, have wished that they could have had a share in the carrying of that cross.
Where were Peter, James and John and the others? Alas, they allowed fear to hinder them, to deprive them of a most glorious service. While thinking of this it is well to remember may share in the carrying of his cross. The offense of the cross, the weight of the cross, has not ceased; the cross of Christ is still in the world; the privilege is still with us to bear it with him, following after him. Although the apostles lost the privilege of bearing the literal cross for Jesus, they gloriously recovered from their fear, and we have the record of their noble service, bearing the cross of Christ for all the years of their lives after wards.
Do we envy Simon that great privilege? If so, the opportunity to help bear the "cross" for members of the Lord's body is yet ours. "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." We may help bear one another's burdens by our sympathy and counsel, and by our prayers. "The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
The Psalmist counsels: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psa. 55:22.) The Lord will send the aid, even though it may be impressed upon a Simon of Cyrene of the world.
When Simon of Cyrene left his country home one fine April morning, he was a very obscure and unknown man; but when the cross of Jesus was so suddenly laid upon his shoulders, his patent to nobility and undying honor was secured, and "wide as the world, and lasting as the ages, is the fame of the man who bore the Savior's cross." Will it be otherwise, dear cross-bearing saint, with you, if you take up the cross laid on you, when you can truthfully say, "Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee."
There is not one care He won't bear. He has been all the way before us. His own burdens were heavy -- Gethsemane to the cross. At the end of that stress our dear Redeemer was so weakened physically that he was unable to bear the cross upon which he was soon to be crucified. They compelled Simon of Cyrene to bear the cross.
Whether this means that he walked behind Jesus in the procession, carrying the cross, or that he carried the hinder part of the cross with Jesus, is uncertain; but in any event he had a most glorious opportunity, even though it was compulsory. Many of the Lord’s dear people, reading the account, have wished that they could have had a share in the carrying of that cross.
Where were Peter, James and John and the others? Alas, they allowed fear to hinder them, to deprive them of a most glorious service. While thinking of this it is well to remember may share in the carrying of his cross. The offense of the cross, the weight of the cross, has not ceased; the cross of Christ is still in the world; the privilege is still with us to bear it with him, following after him. Although the apostles lost the privilege of bearing the literal cross for Jesus, they gloriously recovered from their fear, and we have the record of their noble service, bearing the cross of Christ for all the years of their lives after wards.
Do we envy Simon that great privilege? If so, the opportunity to help bear the "cross" for members of the Lord's body is yet ours. "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." We may help bear one another's burdens by our sympathy and counsel, and by our prayers. "The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
The Psalmist counsels: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psa. 55:22.) The Lord will send the aid, even though it may be impressed upon a Simon of Cyrene of the world.
When Simon of Cyrene left his country home one fine April morning, he was a very obscure and unknown man; but when the cross of Jesus was so suddenly laid upon his shoulders, his patent to nobility and undying honor was secured, and "wide as the world, and lasting as the ages, is the fame of the man who bore the Savior's cross." Will it be otherwise, dear cross-bearing saint, with you, if you take up the cross laid on you, when you can truthfully say, "Gladly will I toil and suffer, only let me walk with Thee."
Why, don't be coy, can't you read? 1) The Gospel writers thought it necessary to mention him; 2) The Gospel writers identify him as from where he was; 3) The Gospel writers specify from where he was coming at the specific a) time, and b) place, and c) circumstance they mention him, 'personally'.
And when I have decided when, I may tell much more, but not to pusillanimous hecklers.
I apologise, BOL, I seriously erred, Simon of Cyrene indeed was, ALL of us! You're right; you have true insight about him, insight conspicuously missing with most critics here!
You are perfectly right from our human point of view; '~He was ordered to by the soldiers~'. But there was the other point of view, from God's side, Simon of Cyrene was predestined to do what he did. So now we may ask What it was God predestined him to do (and be, cf. what BOL had to say)!
I think we are making progress now. Thank God.
Harvest 1874
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Part of it was quoted from an article entitled, “Our Great Burden Bearer” by Brother H. A. Friese, as taken from The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom Oct 1926 and part from an article entitled “The Greatest Event of History” Reprint 3560 May 1905 Brother unknown.
If someone says that Christ carried our crosses meant for us to bear, they lack complete understanding of the subject.
***The three key ideas here: reliance on Christ through the power of God, and self-denial and perfection.
Jesus was 100 % reliant on God for strength and power. He was 100% perfected in God and with a sinless human nature.
Jesus did not have supernatural power in himself, he was human.
We as believers are never 100% reliant of Christ for God’s power and strength because we are imperfect and not sinless in nature. We need to carry our cross, Jesus does not!!
We as believers do not have supernatural power in ourselves as we are human, as Jesus was on earth.***
The physical cross that Jesus carried for an unknown distance caused him to reach his physical breaking point. His flesh was weak. His spiritual and mental strength was supplied by his Father, throughout his way to the cross on Calvary. He relied on his Father always. Jesus never had this power alone.
The crosses we are meant to bear ourselves are ultimately spiritual in nature and for our own good. They are meant to wear us down spiritually, mental and even physically as we breathe and walk on this earth.
They are made for each believer to go through life’s problems to eventually ‘fall’ flat on our faces, every time. This is the point of carrying this burden in our corrupt state and imperfect state. We will never deny ourselves, all the time. We will break, spiritually, mentally and even physically. Then we will ask Jesus for his help and his power through his and our Father. We can never deny ourselves and rely on Christ fully. We are not completely perfected here on earth as we walk our holy walk with Christ.
Jesus carried his physical, mental and spiritual burdens ‘as a cross to bear,’ with total 100 percent reliance on his Father. He was perfected in God, although not in himself, alone, whilst on earth. He never had the power in himself because he was human with only a human nature. He needed his Father to ensure he passed the finish line.
We are not always reliant or not reliable to depend on Christ every day because we have a sinful nature. And thus we are not perfected in Christ. Jesus needed his Father, at least on earth, as we need Christ to receive the Father’s power today at least.
Carry your cross intended for you, for your own benefit not Christ's.
Bless all,
APAK
***The three key ideas here: reliance on Christ through the power of God, and self-denial and perfection.
Jesus was 100 % reliant on God for strength and power. He was 100% perfected in God and with a sinless human nature.
Jesus did not have supernatural power in himself, he was human.
We as believers are never 100% reliant of Christ for God’s power and strength because we are imperfect and not sinless in nature. We need to carry our cross, Jesus does not!!
We as believers do not have supernatural power in ourselves as we are human, as Jesus was on earth.***
The physical cross that Jesus carried for an unknown distance caused him to reach his physical breaking point. His flesh was weak. His spiritual and mental strength was supplied by his Father, throughout his way to the cross on Calvary. He relied on his Father always. Jesus never had this power alone.
The crosses we are meant to bear ourselves are ultimately spiritual in nature and for our own good. They are meant to wear us down spiritually, mental and even physically as we breathe and walk on this earth.
They are made for each believer to go through life’s problems to eventually ‘fall’ flat on our faces, every time. This is the point of carrying this burden in our corrupt state and imperfect state. We will never deny ourselves, all the time. We will break, spiritually, mentally and even physically. Then we will ask Jesus for his help and his power through his and our Father. We can never deny ourselves and rely on Christ fully. We are not completely perfected here on earth as we walk our holy walk with Christ.
Jesus carried his physical, mental and spiritual burdens ‘as a cross to bear,’ with total 100 percent reliance on his Father. He was perfected in God, although not in himself, alone, whilst on earth. He never had the power in himself because he was human with only a human nature. He needed his Father to ensure he passed the finish line.
We are not always reliant or not reliable to depend on Christ every day because we have a sinful nature. And thus we are not perfected in Christ. Jesus needed his Father, at least on earth, as we need Christ to receive the Father’s power today at least.
Carry your cross intended for you, for your own benefit not Christ's.
Bless all,
APAK
Added text from previous post….
As growing believers in Christ we are meant to carry our crosses to become true mature disciples. Because we are not perfect, as Christ was in his Father, we MUST carry to grow and mature. If we do not we will stunt our spiritual growth and rely on our so called free-will and eventually become a lukewarm or worldly Christian, saved as in a burning building, by the skin of our teeth.
We will never carry these burdens (our crosses) too far. This means we have fallen at out breaking point when we finally decide to deny ourselves and decide to cut out our so-called ‘free- will. This ‘free’ will, is always paid with a penalty and responsibility.
After we give up and ask Christ’s help, he will carry it (cross) for us. That’s when we are on the upswing again. We become reliant on Christ once again. The more we do it the more we grow in faith. This is our way to follow Christ in our imperfect state.
Yes. Christ does carry our crosses, although he never did it at his cross at Calvary, that was his own cross and burden to bear.
No, he carries our crosses today as believers, at the base of our humble and wanting hearts after we are broken and reach bottom.
God's love is great!
APAK
As growing believers in Christ we are meant to carry our crosses to become true mature disciples. Because we are not perfect, as Christ was in his Father, we MUST carry to grow and mature. If we do not we will stunt our spiritual growth and rely on our so called free-will and eventually become a lukewarm or worldly Christian, saved as in a burning building, by the skin of our teeth.
We will never carry these burdens (our crosses) too far. This means we have fallen at out breaking point when we finally decide to deny ourselves and decide to cut out our so-called ‘free- will. This ‘free’ will, is always paid with a penalty and responsibility.
After we give up and ask Christ’s help, he will carry it (cross) for us. That’s when we are on the upswing again. We become reliant on Christ once again. The more we do it the more we grow in faith. This is our way to follow Christ in our imperfect state.
Yes. Christ does carry our crosses, although he never did it at his cross at Calvary, that was his own cross and burden to bear.
No, he carries our crosses today as believers, at the base of our humble and wanting hearts after we are broken and reach bottom.
God's love is great!
APAK
BreadOfLife
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Actually - in Mark 15:21, Simon's sons are mentioned (Rufus and Alexander) Why?
Many scholars believe that it was because they were early members of the Church.
Maybe that's why Simon;s name is mentioned and not just what he did.
BreadOfLife
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