"Simon of Cyrene and the Cross" Kathryn Kuhlman Passion of Jesus Christ

Pilate, to gratify the humor of the Roman soldiers, delivered Jesus to them to be abused and spitefully treated while they were preparing for the execution. They called together the whole regiment that was then waiting, and they all went into an inner hall where they abused our Lord and Savior. as a king just as in the high priest's hall and his servants had abused him as a prophet and saviour do kings wear robes of purple or scarlet the word says they clothed him with purple do kings wear crowns when they were abusing him the word said they plaited a crown of thorns and they put it on his head a crown of straw rushes would have been banter enough but this was pain also he wore the crown of thorns which we had deserved that we might wear the crown of glory which he merited let us be taught by these thorns even as gideon taught his men to hate sin to be uneasy under it and to be in love with jesus if we be at any time afflicted with a thorn in the flesh let it be our comfort that our great high priest is touched with the feeling of our infirmities having himself known what thorns in the flesh really meant all kings attended with the acclamations of their subjects all kings live forever? That also was mimicked. For the word said they saluted him with Hail King of the Jews. Such a prince and such a people. Are they good enough for one another? Kings have scepters put into their hand, marks of dominion. as the crown is of dignity to imitate this they put a reed in his right hand those who despise the authority of the lord jesus christ as not to be observed and obeyed who regard not either the precepts of his word nor the threatenings of his wrath do in effect this very day put a reed in his hand yea even as these men smite him on the head with it such as is the indignity they do him subjects when they swear allegiance were wont to kiss their sovereign and this they offered to do but instead the word said they spit upon him kings used to be addressed upon the knee and this also they brought into jest they bowed the knee and worshipped him this too they did in scorn to make themselves and one another laugh they were by sin become liable to everlasting shame and contempt to deliver us from which our lord and saviour submitted to this shame and contempt for us he was thus mocked not in his own clothes but in another's to signify that he suffered not for his own sin the crime was ours The shame he is. Those who pretend subjection to Christ, but at the same time give themselves up to the service of the world, the flesh and the evil one, do in effect this very hour. The same that they did then, who bowed the knee to him in mockery and abused him with, Hail, King of the Jews, when they said, We have no king but caesar those that bow the knee to christ but do not bow the soul that draw nigh to him with their mouths and honor him with their lips but their hearts are far from him put the same affront upon him that These did when he was led to the cross. The soldiers at the hour appointed led him away from Pilate's judgment hall to the place of execution. As a sheep to the slaughter, he was led forth with the workers of iniquity, though he did no sin. but lest his death under the load of his cross which he was to carry should prevent the further cruelties they intended they compelled one simon of cyrene to carry his cross for him they compel one passing by Simon of Cyrene coming from the country, who is the father of Alexander and Rufus to go with him, that he might bear his cross. Now Mark, whose gospel was intended for the Christians at Rome, uses the phrase the father of Alexander and Rufus. Now this is a pointless thing to say unless Alexander and Rufus were already well known by the time that Mark's gospel was written. Rufus we meet again for he's mentioned in the epistle to the Romans. Simon we meet again. For my own part, I believe that an African played a part, a beautiful part, in the drama of the Passion. For just a few minutes, let us try to recapture the scene. Jesus is on his way from Pilate's palace to the hill of Calvary outside the city gates. He's been up all night. He has passed through an agony of spiritual struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has sustained the shock of his disciples' cowardice and the strain of four trials, one before Annas, one before caiaphas one before herod and one before pilate with all the wounding of the spirit which comes from listening to false witnesses he's heard a mob cry crucify him crucify him He was subjected to the coarse cruelty of a handful of Roman soldiers. He'd been bound with thongs that bit into his flesh. He'd been struck on the head till his head ached and throbbed. He'd been crowned with thorns. His back had been whipped with a leather scourge in the lash of which pieces of iron had been tied. A punishment frequently causing death to the victim. And now... they have placed on his raw and quivering shoulders two huge rough beams of wood under the weight of which he sways and staggers fainting in the heat almost falling in all the filth of an eastern street this is the christ of King of kings, lord of lords, the only ruler of princes to whom every knee one day shall bow. This is the one whose lips had spoken words of forgiveness and life, whose hands had been stretched out in healing and blessing, whose feet had walked in tireless errands of mercy and love, and whose very name forevermore will kindle. new resolutions, new purposes in the minds and hearts of men. The officer in charge of the soldiers, moving very slowly, does not know what to do. A Roman soldier must not be asked to carry the wood for a criminal. No ordinary Jew in the crowd could be impressed into the Roman service. What was the officer in charge of the party to do? Jesus obviously could carry his cross no further. No appeal to the priest was possible. Their reaction would most certainly be, cannot Rome carry out its own executions? Here comes one. Simon. who solves the problem. I cannot begin to tell you what this portion of the word of God means to me personally. One of these days I shall have the privilege of looking Simon in the face, placing my hand on his shoulder and express my own... personal appreciation to him for what he did for our wonderful lord that day as the little procession nears the gate to pass out on the way to the green hill beyond the city wall black simon is coming in on business of his own simon of cyrene tall strong obviously not a townsman the officer in charge of the soldiers seized the solution at once he would not dare to incur the enmity of the priests by making an orthodox white jew unclean on the eve of the passover at this time of high festival his feet had turned toward the holy city being black he did not find it easy to get lodgings within the city had been obliged to lodge outside every morning however he tramped into the city to take his part in the great festival and with buoyant heart and smiling eyes with all his arrangements made to spend the day at the spot which for the debout jew was the hub around which all the world revolved the temple of Jerusalem. Then the officer spots him. He looks strong. He is a stranger. He knows nothing what has happened. Nothing. I do not believe that Simon even knew Jesus. And yet, I feel that something happened on that walk. Between the gate of Jerusalem and the hilltop that we call Calvary, Simon of Cyrene came into contact with the most powerful transforming force in the world, the friendship of Jesus. He had the honor of bearing the cross. His cross. It is incredible that Jesus would say nothing to one who even under compulsion was doing him a service. We do not know what was said. But even if the soldiers compelled silence and prohibited even the touch of Jesus' hand on Simon's shoulder, there would be some contact of spirit with spirit. For we do know Simon became a Christian. Our evidence is that he is called the... father of Alexander and Rufus. And those who received Mark's Gospel in Rome knew to which Simon reference was made. For Alexander and Rufus were known to them all. As one contemplates the part played by Simon in the drama of the Passion, there are several things that mean much to all of us. I'm glad that Simon the Black Man is in the picture and that he recognized Jesus as Savior. For remember, Jesus belongs to all races. In a sense, we might say that Jesus was a Jew. But always keep in mind that Christ is raceless. I remember someone telling of a little girl in India who was shown a picture of our Lord which had been made in England. And when she saw it, to everybody's surprise, she cried. And when asked why she was crying, she said, I didn't think he was a bit like that. Somehow, I think I know what the little girl meant. Jesus belongs to everybody. Jesus belongs to every race in the world. Know that. Perhaps that is one reason why you've heard me say it over and over again. I have no picture of Jesus in my room. For no artist's brush, the greatest... artist in the world could not put on canvas the beauty of the Christ that I know as a living reality. You ask me, have you ever seen Jesus? Have you ever looked into his face? No. I have never. seen the face of Jesus. But somehow I know exactly what he looks like and is more real to me than any human being that I've ever seen. He knows no such thing as race. Simon. Simon of Cyrene. You were so close to him. Tell me, as you carried his cross, what did he look like? And methinks the face of Simon, shining with a glory, beautiful beyond description, would say, I tell you, not really. Not really. It was what I felt when I was in his presence. It was the peace that filled my heart. The load of sin, of iniquity lifted from me. For just a moment, the cross was heavy. But in a second, the weight of the cross lifted from me. And I felt a peace. I felt a joy. I felt a thrill that I had never experienced in my life before. He became more than mere man to me. Man who knew no race, no nationality. He became my savior. What something. You and I must not think it strange if crosses come upon us suddenly. He would be surprised by them. The cross was a very troublesome, a very heavy load. But he that carried it a few minutes had the honor to have his name upon record in the Book of God, though otherwise an obscure person. But remember, wherever the The gospel has been preached. What Simon of Cyrene did was told as a memorial of him. In like manner, my friend, the affliction. No cross, no affliction for the present be joyous but grievous. it yields a crown of glory to them that are exercised thereby. That's what the word of God means. The second epistle of Paul, the apostle to Timothy. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, prisoner but be thou partaker of the affections of the gospel according to the power of god who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in christ to jesus before the world began there's a cross for you there's a cross for me to carry even as simon of cyrene carried