Mk 15:16-21

16 And the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19 and they kept beating His head with a read, and spitting at Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 And after they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, and put His garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

 

21 And they pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

 

 

CYRENE:

Ptolemy I transported Jews to this and other cities of Libya, and from this time on Jews wer very numerous there.

This is not some wandering Gentile we are talking of, but a devout Jew returning to Zion for the Passover.

• And waht a momentous Passover!
• Imagine the impact that brief walk with a Savior condemned had on Simon!
• It is likely that his whole family was with him at the time, likely that they were together amidst tht throng watching Jesus being marched to His death.
• Simon is grabbed right from the side of his family! (by soldiers of an army that has conqored both his home town and Jerusalem).
• How angry his sons must have been, but how they must have controlled themselves, or perhpas it was their mother's restraining hand.
• Simon is required to bear the burden of the cross, no light thing.
• He is required to walk next to this poor innocent - beaten, lacerated by whips, bleeding from the brow where thorns had pierced His head in cruel ridicule.
• What is Jesus' example? No anger in His face, no outrage at this wrong being done to Him.
• What does he see? What is it like to be next to Jesus at this point?

We know He has been through a deep contest within Himself in Gethsemene. We know that He has submitted fully to the Father's will for His short life on earth. We can expect that He was well aware of the anguish that still lay before Him - both physical and emotiona, as He underwent the turning away of His Father. And yet, He bore it all without complaint, with a calm determination to do His Father's will completely.

• What am impression this must have made on a man just wronged by the armies that had captured both his home city, and the lands of his nation!
• He was doubtless offended at his own treatment, and then confronted by this - by the calm accpetance of a so much greater wrong.

At Pentecost

Ac 2:5-11

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occured, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and marveled, saying "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them in our own tonges speaking of the mighte deeds of God."

• What tales and impression did Simon return home with after this?
• What discussions came about when his family sat for their meal that night?
• What flashes of insight came to him, as his family sat down to the Passover with these events fresh and vivid in his memory?

We know that men from Cyren were amongst those who felt the converting impact of Pentecost. We know that such men were amongst those who were scattered out of Jerusalem as the Jewish leaders sought to quash this upstart Christian sect.

• Did Simon and his family return home to Cyrene? Could they?
• Could they shake off the impact of such a set of circumstances as they had encountered in meeting their Savior?
• Or weresuch encounters so life-changing, so course-altering that nothing could stop them from carrying word of God's work to their kinsmen far and wide?

CYRENE

"Cyrene was a great center from which the gospel afterwards went forth, raising the famous N. African churches."

Into the world

Ac 11:19-26

19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 And the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. 25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

It just happened...

• That Simon was in Jerusalem for the Passover,
• That he had a son named Rufus,
• That he was standing along the road Jesus was to walk,
• That the guards picked him from the crowd to carry the cross,
• That Cyrenians were present at the Pentecost outpouring, alongside Romans,
• That Cyrenians were amongst those fleeing the persecution in Jerusalem,
• That the Jerusalem church decided to send Barnabas to see what was going on,
• That Barnabas, rejoicing in the LORD's work in Antioch, brought Paul along (to receive his mission),
• That the Antioch church developed a heart for missions,
• That a Rufus (whose mother Paul considered as his own), was in Rome to receive Paul's greeting.

I'm still wondering if the Rufus of Rome is indeed the son of Simon of Cyrene. It is certainly not out of the question. Our God is an awesome God.

• There is one thing that can change a man to be so completely dedicated to his God, and that is a personal encounter with the One who made him.
• Many go through the motions of religion only because of familial or societal pressures.
• Many walk the stony steps of a dead unbelief, continuing blindly in the forms of a faith they never held.
• Many among us, when returned to the church situations of our youth, will instantly fall into the forms and fashions of that ingrained habit, and this in spite of our knowing it's happening.
• But,
• when we have met with our God, when He has made it personal, has come to us in our particular place and need and fashion, there comes a change that cannot be denied and cannot be stopped!

This is the call of God, this is election, that the God who created all that we see and know stooped down for a moment to reach out to us One on one! What manner of God is this that cares so much for us?

Lord, You are most awesome! You, who breathe all things into existence, who spoke this very world into being, came down and showed Yourself real to me! You didn't insist on some particular ritual or words or actions on my part, You simply looked at the needs this particular creature had. You looked inside me and saw what would be needed for me to recognize Your touch, and that is precisely what You did! How awesome! How wonderful! Lord, forgive me that so often I can forget just how wonderful this present life is, just how amazing it is that I am who I am today. You reached out to me, pulled me from a path that could only have led to one conclusion, and look where You have placed me! I am truly, truly humbled before You. Oh, may Your praises ever be found on my lips, for You are my Rock, and my Salvation, and the Lifter of my head.

©2001 - Jeffrey A. Wilcox