Simon of Cyrene

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. (Mark 15:21, ESV)

I grew up Catholic and every Friday throughout Lent my grammar school would assemble in the church at 2:30 and go thru the stations of the cross.  Although I no longer adhere to the traditions of the Catholic Church, God used them, as He uses everything in my life, for my good.  Simon of Cyrene being compelled to carry Jesus’ cross was my favorite one to think on...we know very little about who he was except that he was from the North African city of Cyrene and was on his way into Jerusalem. Mark identifies him here as the father of Alexander and Rufus....Rufus is identified in Romans 16:13 as a prominent member of the church at Rome....this makes me happy to read because it most likely means that some time after He bore Jesus’ cross, Simon was saved and then Rufus and perhaps his whole household.  I also like the picture because it reminds me that Jesus fell under the weight of that cross...it was really our cross...not His...because it was for our sin that He bore it.  It was appropriate then that some “representative sinner” was chosen to carry it for Him symbolizing that we all would have had to bear the eternal burden of our own sin had not Jesus come and done it for us.