Was Simon of Cyrene ‘a fit man’?
I grew up in the Catholic faith where we used to ‘do’ the Stations of the Cross. There was a man named Simon of Cyrene who allegedly helped Jesus carry His cross, because Jesus allegedly fell 3 times. As some of you know the catholic faith didn’t really emphasize studying the Word of God. So when God gave me a hunger and thirst to want to read His Word which was around the early ‘90’s. As we all can attest, reading is one thing, understanding what we read is something else.
How many of us heard or remember the character, Simon of Cyrene? What do you remember about him if anything at all? Matter of fact why should we even give him a 2nd thought, except that he was just passing through minding his own business and then he was pressed into a crucifixion parade!
I have to share a thought that hit me this week, call it a Holy Spirit inspiration or just another neat thought out of the Living Word, but for some inexplicable reason I was prompted to think of Simon of Cyrene. I mean, there’s nothing in your Bible by accident. Every word has a purpose and meaning, and sometimes multiple meanings. So my question is, Was Simon of Cyrene a fit man? No I don’t mean was he buff and can flex his guns cause he did the PX-90 program. Let’s see what happened and what is a ‘fit man’ as your bible defines it.
Let’s read slowly and believe what we read and not read what we believe. Simon of Cyrene shows up in 3 of the ‘gospel’ writers, Matthew (27:32), Mark (15:21) and Luke (23:26). I’d rather you go and read your bibles rather than me cut and paste. You’ll notice some interesting things. Simon was coming in from the country. So? He didn’t volunteer for the job, they pressed him into service. We never really hear from him again in Scriptures, right?
My technique in reading the Word, is when you are guided to a verse, it’s helpful to go in re-verse and back up as much as you want to, usually the further back up the more you see. But in this case let’s just back up and re-verse to the one before. In each of the accounts, the Word says ‘they led Him away’ or ‘led Him out’. Now I’m tuned into phrases when I read. I used to think that it was because the Bible was written funny. Now, it seems The Author of the Book wants us to read the Whole Book to get even more out of His-story. So they led Him out or led Him away, what’s the Big deal Rick? It may not be a big deal to you, but I’m refreshed after making this connection.
What do you know about ‘the scapegoat’? Casting lots? ‘Being led away’? May I encourage you to open up and read the book of Leviticus, chapter 16 and verse 21 & 22, “ Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins and he lay them on the head of the goat and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness (a fit man). The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”
Can you see Jesus in here, in the ‘old testament’? The ‘goat’ who takes all our iniquities? Takes all our transgressions? Being ‘led out’ into the windedness? The goat they cast lots over? Our scapegoat? Because God so loved the World He gave His only begotten Son etc… Now we can see a hint of what Simon of Cyrene was doing. Helping fulfill The Author of The Word, fulfill His Word right down to having a ‘fit man’ lead Him out to a solitary place; to atone for our iniquities.
Our God is awesome. Jesus is God. The Author and Perfected of Our Faith!
