Simon

The other day as I was driving, I heard the song Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz. For whatever reason, that song affects me so much every single time I hear it. It’s the story of the crucifixion as told by Simon the Cyrene, who was compelled to carry the cross of Jesus (Mark 15:21).

A little background from Christianity Today:
“Simon didn’t volunteer for the job. The Bible says he was “forced” to carry the cross. In all likelihood, he was visiting Jerusalem for Passover and was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. As Mark says, he was just “passing by” when the soldiers put him to work. We can’t be absolutely sure, but Christian tradition says that Simon became a Christian sometime after carrying Jesus’ cross. We don’t know when, but he may have been one of those from North Africa who heard Peter’s sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). We do know that another Cyrenean, Lucius, became a teacher at the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Mark mentions Simon’s sons, Alexander and Rufus, along with Simon, as if the Christians Mark was writing to would know of them. If Mark was writing to Christians in Rome, then Rufus may have been the same man who was described by Paul as “chosen in the Lord” (Rom. 16:13). Notice, too, that Paul also mentions the mother of Rufus, “who has been a mother to” Paul. Putting the evidence together, it seems that Simon and his wife became Christians and raised two godly sons. At some point they arrived in Rome, where they did the work of Christ.”

So as I was thinking about this seemingly random piece of information in the story of the death of Jesus, I started wondering…

I can’t even imagine how deeply affected this man must have been by what he had to do. Even if he knew nothing of this man whose cross he had to carry, the moment he put it on his back and the blood touched him must have completely blown his mind. The blood of Jesus Christ covered this man… imagine that! I think of the woman who pushed her way through a crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe, and when she did, she was healed of a disease she had for many years. So here we have a man who was physically covered with the shed blood of Jesus – the only atonement for the sins of mankind – and it covered a man. How powerful an example Simon became. Because he shared in the cross-bearing of Jesus, this representative of humanity was the first to be covered in the cleansing blood of Jesus. The barrier was down, for at that moment, there was nothing between him and the Father God. He stood clean before Him! So I don’t know for sure if Simon became a passionate follower of Jesus after that day, but I have to imagine that from that day forth… he was a changed man.

I was thinking about this all day today and I thank God that he gave something so dear to Him – the life of His Son – so that I could live! And I thank Jesus Christ that he allowed His blood to be shed for me – so that I could live…forever with Him.