Monday 7th April
Read Mark 15:21-24
“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. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.” (NIVUK)
There are ancient Jewish and Moslem traditions that Simon did not simply carry the cross to Golgotha but was hung upon it and died in Jesus’ place. This easily solves the problem of the resurrection appearances of Jesus if he did not in fact die on the cross.
There are equally ancient Christian traditions that look at Simon of Cyrene and see him as a substitute for us. Just as we are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus into suffering and death, Simon was the first to walk that path for us. There is much to meditate upon within that ancient tradition.
Richard Bauckham argues persuasively that small verses such as this, rich in controversy on one side and spiritual devotion on the other, provide very strong evidence of the role of eyewitnesses in the recounting of the gospel. The source of the information concerning Simon seems to be his children, Alexander and Rufus, who must have put their faith in Jesus at some later stage. Otherwise why are they even mentioned here? The passion narratives are not the product of ancient, if early, traditions that eventually grew up around Jesus’ death and resurrection – they are the observations of eyewitnesses and that much more reliable.
