The text mentions that he was "a Cyrenian," which means he came from the town of Cyrene in the region known today as Libya on the northern coast of Africa. The location of Cyrene has led some scholars to wonder if Simon was a black man, which is certainly possible. This is taking longer than they wanted it to. In those days, long before the Arab Muslim invasions, this part of he world was inhabited mainly by black Africans, and Simon is traditionally thought to have been a black Jewish man. And finally Mark 15:21 says “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country and they forced him to carry the Cross.”. It also names the dignity, power, and humanity black people have had in the face of half a millennium of such oppression. It’s safe to say he was Jewish and may have been called “Black” simply because of his looks. He also that service means self-denial in following Jesus and it means sharing in His suffering. … What we do know about Simon called Niger is his name. They made him carry Jesus’ cross. » Luke 23:26 : Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus . Read more. Mark’s Gospel records the following: “Then [the soldiers] compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear [Jesus’] cross” (Mark 15:21). O Jesus! Lessons from Simon the Cross Bearer, the man that carried Christ's Cross to Golgotha. “Share in Each Other’s Sufferings”. In the character of Simon we are taught some valuable lessons about Jesus and our role as follows of the risen King! African presence in the Bible: Reflections on Simon of Cyrene. Simon of Cyrene. If you come down from Israel and across the top of Egypt past Alexandria and finally along the coast to Libya and you’ll find Cyrenaica which is the whole region and the capital city of the area which was Cyrene itself. Cyrene is along the African coastline, in the region next to Libya. This town had been settled by Jews 300+ years before Jesus was born. ”And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.” -Luke 23:26. Simon of Cyrene is on his way home, returning from work, when he comes upon the sad procession of those condemned – for him, perhaps, it was a common sight. According to the Book of Joshua, Rahab, (who's name literally means" "a prostitute woman") a woman who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city by betraying her people (Joshua 2:1-24). 1. The Bible tells us that Simon was Cyrene in what is now Libya, in northern Africa. Thus, how well we bear our personal crosses, whether of our own making or an accident of birth, is much less of a story than how well we carry the crosses of family, friends and perhaps most importantly, the crosses of strangers. Invocation: Colossians 1:9-15 Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross of Yahshua makes me proud as an African American woman, but it also challenges me to examine whose cross I am helping bear. Simon of Cyrene is forced to do so. According to the Book of Joshua, Rahab, (who's name literally means" "a prostitute woman") a woman who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city by betraying her people (Joshua 2:1-24). Since Cyrene was located in modern day Libya, many have suggested that Simon was a dark-skinned African man who had come to Jerusalem to worship during the Passover. Scripture. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the four Gospels. Lessons from Simon of Cyrene’s story (the cross bearer of Jesus who was the only African eyewitness to the crucifixion): 1. 27 A large crowd of people followed Him, including women who were mourning and lamenting Him. In this sermon we will have a look at some of the lessons that we can learn from the nation. Simon then coming out from the country carries the cross after Jesus, when the Gentile nations leaving pagan rights embrace obediently the footsteps of our Lord’s Passion. I learned my father’s trade and attended the local synagogue where we studied the Torah and the prophets. Jesus is being led out of Jerusalem, at the same time Simon is coming from the country into Jerusalem, he is just passing by; the soldiers compelled Simon; his name is very specific, “Simon of Cyrene,” not some other Simon; his sons are named; at the time that Matthew, Mark and Luke are writing, the church knows who Simon and his sons are. To kick off this series: “Black Lives In The Bible,” Seele's Editor unpacks Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry His cross, as He served the Savior in His final hour. IV. Let us learn the lesson of Simon of Cyrene and never reject Our Lord and the Cross again. Easter Sunday Evening - 'Simon of Cyrene' (Patrick Grimshaw) Come and join us as we press deeper into the Easter story, by looking at an often overlooked character of the story, Simon of Cyrene. One of them asks Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom, and Jesus promises that He will. They compelled this man to carry his cross. So no matter how uncomfortable it is sometimes, just do it. Simon of Cyrene gives us the lesson of God’s providence and participation in painful things that reveal God’s grace. Mark 15:21 says, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” His name was Simon and he hailed from Cyrene. Now, everything was a Roman province in my time. SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- For Simon of Cyrene, being in the wrong place at … Dr Simon Ourian Md ~ Best Cosmetic Dermatologist | Epione Beverly Hills - Dr Simon Ourian Md a coordinator and expert at Epione Beverly Hills makes use of a couple of procedures that you can make use of to have the ability to alter the signs of developing, especially stand up to repair. My name is Simon and I grew up in a Jewish community in Cyrene which was located in northern Africa in eastern Libya. Third, Simon became a Christian, Mark 15:21; Romans 16:13; Acts 13:1; 19:33-34. » Mark 15:21: Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. My name: Shimon (Simon to you), from the Roman province of Cyrene. Simon of Cyrene: Bear One Other’s Burdens. I. He was a foreigner, an African, who served Jesus in his final hour. Jesus, the soldiers are becoming impatient. BibleStudy character, Israel, Joshua, promised land, wilderness. His city of origin, Cyrene, was located in North Africa, in what is now […] If you've ever walked the Way of the Cross, you probably met St. Simon of Cyrene at station number five. From the moment we became Christians we agreed to do something that Jesus said we must do to follow Him. The beginning of his painting career started with his request to the session of the Martinikerk (St. Martin Church) in Groningen to hire the church for a special occasion. Roman soldiers carried a great deal of authority wherever they went. It appears they wanted to keep the procession moving, and so they forcibly recruited a man named Simon to pick up Jesus' cross and carry it for Him. What do we know about Simon? Cyrene, Libya, North Africa is located approximately 785 miles from Jerusalem. LEARNING FROM SIMON: THE CROSS OF OBEDIENCE A. Oh, how should I do aught that could delight Thee! All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world. Simon the Cyrenian apparently knew nothing about Jesus Christ when the Cross was laid on his shoulders. Simon’s absence there also tells us something. Mark 15:21 NLT “21 A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.” Luke 23:26 NLT “26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to … No matter how Simon traveled to Jerusalem, he began his journey with a plan. Carrying the cross behind Jesus is a beautiful and painful picture of our calling as disciples, according to Luke … Hebrew was the language of religion, Greek of philosophy, and Latin the law. It names the ongoing reality of social hostility and forced labor imposed upon blacks the world over. Day 8: Rahab: Lessons From A "Harlot". Helping Simon of Cyrene Carry Jesus’ Cross (4 of 6) March 19, 2006. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in Matthew, Mark and Luke. How annoying he must have thought it to be suddenly caught up in the fate of those condemned men! and as someone "considered righteous" for her works. This is a lesson … Simon of Cyrene certainly has the reputation of being a kind stranger. Simon of Cyrene or “El Cirineo” was, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the person who helped carry the Jesus’s cross to Golgotha, where he would later be crucified. II. We need to be more compassionate and more present to the lives of other people. The soldiers force this rugged man from the country to carry the Cross on his own shoulders. The word “forced” catches my attention here. The quick backstory: Jesus of Nazareth was wrongfully charged with treason against Rome, a punishment that resulted in crucifixion. Lessons from Joshua. Here I think we finally arrive at some of the interesting lessons revealed by Simon of Cyrene’s brief appearance in the passion narrative. Mark’s readers must have known who Alexander and Rufus were, and there is a Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13, a leader in the church in Rome. Luke provides a quick overview of his involvement: 26 As they led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. Simon of Cyrene, you took it upon yourself to help a suffering Jesus. You didn’t have to, but you did. You are the model that the world needs today. In carrying that cross with Jesus, you became like him; help us to become like you, so we can become like him whom you helped that day and that in so doing,... Dependency is the foundation of … They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. Dad passed those lessons on to me, his son Rufus. Here was … Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross of Yahshua makes me proud as an African American woman, but it also challenges me to examine whose cross I am helping bear. I was raised both Greco-Roman and Jewish. I was born and raised in East New York, … Behold, I join Thee in the Way of Thy Cross; I will be Thy assistant, following Thy bloody footsteps, that I may come to Thee in eternal life. Simon’s blackness is truth-telling and empowering. It is said that «he came from the country». Day 8: Rahab: Lessons From A "Harlot". Simon of Cyrene, the black man in society, helping God carry his burden. Our family had been forced from Judea to settle there during the reign of Ptolemy Soter (323–285 BC). He followed this up with lessons at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. They are afraid you won't make it to the hill where you will be crucified. II. We see one key factor, symbolism really that as Simon carried the cross and followed … We can be sure, though, that ‘kindness’ had little to do with it when he was forced to share Jesus’s load – whether he would have chosen to help, we’ll never know, but that choice was not likely his to make. Roman soldiers drafted Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross. Second, Simon was compelled to carry Christ’s cross, Luke 23:34; Matthew 11:28-30; 16:24; Luke 8:14. religious biblical depictions african style in the cyrene mission, built in 1939 the mission was named after simon of cyrene, who was forced to carry the cross at jesus' crucifixion ( luke 23:26 ), bulawayo - simon the cyrene stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Although, as far as we can tell there is no prior relationship between Simon and Christ, this unlikely pair belong to one another at Christ’s most vulnerable moment. This mother was Simon’s wife! Jesus was too weak from the scourging. Becoming aware of how your story connects with God’s story. seventh century B.C., and it lay in the region of Cyrenaica, a coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea. Matthew 27:32 says, “Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross” (NLT). and as someone "considered righteous" for her works. An Unexpected Burden: Simon of Cyrene As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. Fr. III. Matthew only records his name and place of origin (27:32), but Mark and Luke say that he was “on his way in from the country” (Luke 23:26). 29th March 2016. During the time of Jesus, you’d have to travel either by boat, horseback, or by foot—which took weeks. In However, since only his hometown was specified and many Jews lived in Cyrene during this time, his … Compassion without action is just an observation. 2 Opening Prayer 9. Simon was a real historical person, and he was there at a real historical moment. Whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. Rufus’ father, Simon, was the man who carried Jesus Cross on the way to Calvary. Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Simon of Cyrene is often depicted as a black man. Witness to one of the most prominent historical moments, Simon of Cyrene (modern-day Libya) carried the cross behind Jesus and served H im in his final hour (Luke 23:26). We don’t have much of a choice about who we belong to and who belongs to us. Devotion It may have been ordinary weather, but the gravity of the day’s events would make even mild weather feel like the sun; they would scorch the earth and make cold days feel like the tundra. Then Jesus dies. The last lesson that I would draw is, let us learn from this incident the blessed results of contact with the suffering Christ. The Carrying of the Cross. I … That day at the cross, my Dad, Simon of Cyrene, learned that salvation is God’s doing in spite of our sin. Simon of Cyrene. First, Simon was brought into contact with Christ by an act of God’s providence, Proverbs 16:9. ... Every week, thousands of churches use our Bible lessons, craft ideas, printable resources, and coloring pages to teach kids the Christian faith. 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 5th Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross; 6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; 7th Station: Jesus falls the second time; 8th Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem; 9th Station: Jesus falls a third time; 10th Station: Jesus clothes are taken away; 11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross by Peter Paul Rubens, 1634-1637. While not exhaustive, this is a sampling of some of the Church Fathers' comments on Simon of Cyrene. Dependency is vulnerability since we can’t control the actions of the others on whom we are dependent. be omniscient—to know the hearts of men—Simon was compelled by the soldiers to take Jesus’ cross, but Simon was chosen by God to the bear the cross with Jesus.] Just help and your Heavenly Father will surely reward you. Simon is a Jewish name and Niger comes from the Latin word for “black”. c. Criminals were required to wear a placard announcing his crime – This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews, and written in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. But I lived in Cyrene, to you, North Africa. Research shows that Simon of Cyrene was from a country in ancient northern Africa (bordering Egypt) called Libya. If you didn't tolerate them, they got rid of you. We tolerated the Romans, of course; you could do little else but tolerate Romans. St. Simon of Cyrene. Simon of Cyrene is conspicuously absent from the Gospel of John, the last of the Gospels to come into written form and the one most imbued with highly developed theological reflection. Both of Simon’s sons would later hold prominent positions in the Church and Simon’s wife was sort of a spiritual mother to the Apostle Paul. Lesson 5: Simon of Cyrene . The New Commentary on the Whole Bible, editors J.D. Bishop Ferguson like Simon of Cyrene has God sons and daughters who help him take the Gospel to new communities while standing up for the rights of returning citizens. Jesus’ friends bury Him before Sabbath in Joseph’s tomb. Simon the Cyrenian apparently knew nothing about Jesus Christ when the Cross was laid on his shoulders. A A A. [Fourth in a six-part Lenten Series on Mystical Images] “It seems as though through purely earthly accidents we are made responsible for what is heavenly and divine.”. Jesus asked us to voluntarily take up our cross daily, but Simon was forced to do it. Jesus is nailed to the cross and hangs between two thieves. In the New Testament narratives of the Crucifixion, you make only one appearance, one that is brief but meaningful: you were selected to help Jesus carry his cross. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. 2. In Acts 13:1, at Antioch, are Simon the Black One and Lucius, both we believe of Cyrene, and Barnabas of Cyprus but also amongst them dwelling at that time in the ecclesia at the end of verse 1, there is Saul, who is there as a teacher in the Antioch ecclesia in this first great bastion of Gentile believers. In fact, the first three books of the New Testament provide only a very sketchy profile of a man from Cyrene, Simon … Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke as the man who carried the cross of Jesus to the location of His death. Rather, the significance of the story of Simon of Cyrene is that the most important crosses that we will bear in our lives belong to someone else. Sermons and Sunday School lessons can focus on the role of the man being the head of the house and being the type of man who our women and wives can respect and love and that our girls and daughters will grow to look for in a husband. Simon of Cyrene. We must learn to help but we must do it in a way that we are PRESENT like what Simon of Cyrene did. This is the command, therefore, and the lesson from Simon of Cyrene: that we should be compelled to carry Christ the Cross by the force of His love … For vainly doth our human wisdom ponder, Hymn 145 “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary” Thy woes, Thy mercy, still transcend our wonder. IV. Mark tells us that he had two sons, Alexander and Rufus. Douglas, Philip W. Comfort, brings up the interesting possibility that Simeon called Niger who appears in Acts 13:1 is the same person as Simon of Cyrene mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels as the man who helped Jesus carry His cross. The last lesson that I would draw is, let us learn from this incident the blessed results of contact with the suffering Christ. Mark speaks of Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country (some translations say ‘from the fields’) and adds that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21). Whatever it will be, it will be something where we’ll feel the pain and perhaps the shame the experience might bring upon us, and I think this is the lesson of Simon of Cyrene, that only when we have shouldered our cross and borne it aloft and felt its burden and looked up and seen Christ ahead and we following in his steps, then we will know the cross of Christ and that power to transform us and … Simon of Cyrene's Untold Story Brought to Life. Simon was, as written in Scripture, from Cyrene (Matthew, Mark, and Luke each say he was, “of” Cyrene), a city with a population close to 5,000 people.The Greeks made Cyrene a trade outpost ca. 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