Matthew 27:32

‘And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear his cross.'

‘As they came out.' ‘Out' is being emphasised. Clearly this is intended to mean ‘out of Jerusalem.' Jesus, surrounded by His four guards, would already have been trailed through the streets of Jerusalem in a kind of circular tour as a reminder to the people of what happened to rebels, and now He has come out through the gates, and presumably collapses in weakness. Thus a passing civilian is impressed for service in order to carry His crosspiece for Him. The probability is that Simon looked burly enough for the task not to be seen as too difficult for him.

However, the indication behind the words is that those who would bear Jesus' cross must do so ‘outside Jerusalem'. Later it will be emphasised that Jesus died outside Jerusalem as a ‘bearer of reproach' because Israel thought that they were thereby expelling Him (Hebrews 13:12), while the type of execution was seen as putting Him under a curse in the eyes of all Jews (Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13). But the point being made here is that the new Israel must be fashioned ‘outside Jerusalem' with Him. The fact that Simon is named makes clear that he was (or became) a believer, and is therefore here representative of all believers. Matthew is not big on names unless he has some purpose for them. Mark in fact makes it even clearer that his family was a believing one by naming his sons. As the one who bore Jesus' cross Simon's name would resound wherever the Gospel went. So here the indication is that those who would join with Simon in bearing the cross of Jesus will also be required to come outside all that Jerusalem stands for. For Jerusalem itself, and all that it means, is rejected and devoted to destruction.

Cyrene was a capital city in Northern Africa and contained a Jewish community, so that Simon may have been visiting from there. But there was a Cyrenian synagogue in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9), which could thus easily have been his ‘home'. Furthermore Christian Jews from Cyrene are mentioned in Acts 11:20; Acts 13:1. Simon was therefore almost certainly an African Jew, possibly dwelling in Jerusalem, who had become, or would become, a believer.

‘Him they compelled (impressed) to go with them.' The Roman soldiers took advantage of their right to impress anyone who was not a Roman citizen in order that they might make them carry their burdens for one ‘milion' (compare Matthew 5:41). All they had to do was tap the person on the shoulder with a spear. As it was usual for the one who was to be crucified to carry his own cross-piece, the suggestion must be that Jesus was collapsing with exhaustion and suffering, while the soldiers would certainly not deign to carry it themselves. Thus the impressment. All this would be recognised by Matthew's readers.

‘That he might bear His cross.' Never was man more privileged. But he was almost certainly taking on himself a lifetime commitment. As a believer he would carry Jesus' cross from then on. And, as we have seen, it is being made clear here that it was something that could only be done outside the sphere of the Jerusalem hierarchy. There can be little doubt that Matthew intends us to connect these words with Matthew 16:24 which they parallel almost word for word. There, of course, it was the disciples' own cross that was to be borne as he took up the way of suffering and self-denial for Jesus' sake, but it would soon become recognised that that also involved bearing Jesus' cross (Romans 6:3; Galatians 2:20), and that is what Matthew has in mind here. All who ‘bore His cross' in the future would be declaring their intention to live and die for Christ, whatever the cost. There is here an indication of the oneness of Jesus with His true people. While He alone could bear the sins of the world, His own must join with Him in bearing its tribulations (Matthew 20:26; Colossians 1:24). And it began here. God is hereby reminding us that we must share with Him in the fellowship of His suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Implicit, however, in all this is that Jesus' was so overburdened by the suffering that He had endured that another had to help in the carrying of His cross because His body had become so weak. Think of it. The Son of God unable to carry a piece of wood. So had God lowered Himself in becoming man (Philippians 2:5), but by it He was indicating that He would constantly call on men to share with Him, not in His sacrifice of Himself, but as partners in His sufferings (Colossians 1:24).