April 9, 2011
Kevin Miller
“Don’t Just Stand There”
Mark 15:21
Going from a passerby to a participant, painting the picture of Simon of Cyrene.
1. He Was A Passerby
Simon walked up on an unexpected situation. His home town, Cyrene, was 800 miles from Jerusalem. That would take over a month to make that trek. He was from Africa. Simon was a Jew that came once a year or maybe only once in his life during the Passover. During that time there were 100,000 – 250,000 visitors on top of the 80,000 people who lived there. Most likely he was staying in a suburban area and was coming into Jerusalem.
Jesus was dragging His cross a little before 9am (He was crucified at 9), and their prayer hour was at 9am. So people were flocking in. Jesus was forced to drag his cross down as many streets as possible because the whole point was public humiliation. Simon had his own plans, he didn’t grasp the significance of what he was about to encounter. He might not have even known who Jesus was.
2. He Was Pushed
-Luke 23:26- there is uses the word compelled which means to lay hold of, press into service, force.
3. He Was a Participant
Had the guards picked a local Jew there probably would have been a riot. So their best bet was a tourist. Simon probably stood out –Luke 23:26- “That he might bare it after Jesus.” The cross weighed about 300lb and that was usually just the beam that they had to carry. Usually when there is a murder the weapon is blood after, but this weapon was bloody before. –Mark 8:34-35- those verse are almost like foreshadowing. You’re not the martyr Jesus is.
Mark is the only one who mentions Simon’s son’s names. That must mean that those who he was writing to must have known them. Mark wrote to gentile Christians in Rome. Romans 16 mentions Rufus, maybe it’s the same guy.
Kevin’s daughter Emery’s prayer: “God we love you and we love that You love us.” She gets it, even at that age (4-5?) she gets it. –Isaiah 53:5 & 6- -1 Peter:3- that’s how He loves us.
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